Sixers take on the Lions at Champions League T20 final

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With all the IPL teams out of the Champions League, it will be the duel of the Highveld Lions against the most successful team of the tournament thus far, Sydney Sixers tonight.

Sydney Sixers have been clinical in their performance so far and will start the final with psychological advantage of having already beating the Lions in the group stage. Sydney won each of their five matches -- including four group stage games -- to be considered by far the best team to take the field in the competition.

Despite losing out on the services of their match-winner, prolific all-rounder Shane Watson, the Sydney Sixers have players who have been performing consistently well and look in great touch.

They have different players to raise their game and come to the team’s cause every time they needed one. Skipper Brad Haddin has been consistent with the willow. Michael Lumb too has been in outstanding form, having scored in every outing.

In Moises Henriques and Steve Smith, the Sixers have two players in their middle order who are contributing regularly. But a few chinks in the armour were left exposed by the last-ball last night's win over Titans during which Smith and Haddin failed to add anything significant.

For Lions, they perhaps will be happy to start as underdogs with lesser pressure on their shoulders in the final. The Lions will also bank on the home support they are likely to enjoy to outwit Sydney, a team which has looked unstoppable all through the event.

Players to look out for:

Gulam Bodi:
Opening batsman, Gulam Bodi, is the team's top run-getter in the competition. The Lions will be banking on him to get them off to a good start. Bodi is now the highest run-getter in the tournament. He has scored 19, 64, 61, 8 and 50 in the last five innings respectively and the Lions would want him to continue the same way in the final against the Sixers.

Aaron Phangiso: Aaron Phangiso is the Lions' leading wicket-taker and has bowled beautifully. Phangiso, in fact, tops the list of Lions' wicket-takers accounting for 30 scalps in 33 T20 games for his team. There is no looking back for the bowler since he bowled the master batsman Tendulkar in their first match against the Mumbai Indians. The bowler shows great temperament and clever spinner who will test the big hitting Sixers and his four overs will be crucial for his team’s prospect in the final.

Chris Morris:
Morris drew a lot of praise and appreciation with his performance against the Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals. Against a team that boasts of the game’s most powerful hitters, he finished with outstanding figures of just 7 runs in 4 overs and grabbed 2 wickets. The Lions will look for just the same kind of performance in the final against the strong batting line up of Sixers.

Pat Cummins:
The 19-year-old is an important player in the Australian National side as well but hasn’t quite lived up to his reputation in the Champions League. However his heroics with the batting helped the team reach the final against the Titans.

Moses Henriques:
Moses Henriques has been doing what Shane Watson does and doing it wonderfully. He has made the Sydney Sixers not hurt the absence of the world’s number one all-rounder. He is bowling with good pace, taking wickets in the middle overs and also equally batting well in the middle overs. He started by picking three wickets and then scored an unbeaten 49 from 23 balls to help his side defeat the Chennai Super Kings in their second match. Everytime the Sixers have been in the tight situation, Henriques has come to the team’s rescue. He will be on player who will bother the Lions in the final.

Mitchell Starc:
Starc has been the backbone of the Sydney Sixers’ bowling attack and with his pace and accuracy. Haddin has used him well in the middle overs and the Lions will be vary of him and the scorching pace with which he bowls.