Bijapur Bulls vs Belagavi Panthers, KPL 2017 final: Cricket live streaming & TV listings

Bijapur Bulls take on Belagavi Panthers in the final of Karnataka Premier League 2017 at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground in Hubli on Saturday, September 23.

Bijapur, the 2015 champions, made their way into the final after beating Namma Shivamogga in the second semi-final in Hubli on Friday, September 22.

Chasing a total of 158, Bijapur lost openers Bharat Chipli and Mohammed Taha early, but a blinder from Abhimanyu Mithun (12-ball 32) towards the end helped them gun down the total.

On the other hand, Belagavi, who finished last among the semi-finalists at the end of the group stages, crushed table-toppers Namma Shivamogga in the first semi-final on Wednesday, September 20.

The two-time finalists rode on openers KN Bharath and Stalin Hoover's half-centuries to beat the Vinay Kumar-led side by 14 runs (VJD method).

The match also saw Belagavi's Anand Doddamani and Avinash D pick up hat-tricks, which blew away Shivamogga's middle and lower order.

Star-studded teams in action

Deservedly, the final will be played by two of the most star-studded teams in the ongoing season. Both the units have some well-established names, who are capable of single-handedly influencing the big match.

Focus on Stuart Binny

India all-rounder Stuart Binny will be key to Belagavi's chances on the big night. The 33-year-old has been in fine form in the ongoing tournament. He has smashed 233 runs in seven matches, which includes three half-centuries.

Binny has shone with the ball as well, as he has picked up seven wickets from as many matches. The all-rounder's experience will be key to Belagavi's chances of winning their first KPL title.

While openers Bharath and Hoover will look to make an impact in the final, skipper Srinath Aravind will also be in focus.

Stat alert

• Belagavi Panthers and Bijapur Bulls clash for KPL 2017 title on 24.09.17 at Hubballi. It is interesting to note that Belagavi Panthers has been one of the teams that clashed in the finals of KPL on three occasions including the current one. They were the finalists in the inaugural edition of 2009 and in 2014

• Bijapur Bulls is in the fray for the second occasion having emerged winners in 2015 edition. The following table lists the finalists in each edition of KPL

• The following table details the winner and the runner in each of the earlier five editions of Karnataka Premier League

Can Bijapur win second title?

Meanwhile, Bijapur captain Chipli, who is among the top-five run-scores of the season with 174 runs, will look to lead from the front on Saturday.

Bijapur's middle order also looks strong with the likes of in-form Nidhish M and big-hitting Mithun.

While they lack a bit of experience in the bowling department, mystery spinner KC Cariappa's presence will come in handy in a pressure situation.

When does the match start and how to watch it live

KPL 2017 final between Bijapur and Belagavi will begin at 7pm IST in Hubli.

TV coverage: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD; Live streaming: Hotstar

The KPL final will be preceded by a women's KPL exhibition match, which will have World Cup heroes Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Veda Krishnamurthy among other stars.

Team news

Bijapur Bulls

Squad: HS Sharath, KC Cariappa, Prithvi Shekawat, Bharath Chipli, AM Kiran , Mohammed Taha, Ronit More, Naveen MG, Dikshanshu Negi, Nidhish M, Abhimanyu Mithun, GM Rishabh, Rajat Hegde, Rishabh Singh, Raj Atul Gala, Prashanth S, Lal Sachin

Belagavi Panthers

Squad: Kishore Kamat, Sreenath Aravind, Manish Pandey, KN Bharath, Rakshith S, Sunil Kumar Jain, Krishnappa Gowtham, Satish Bharadwaj, Sharath BR, Anand Doddamani, Nitin Bhille, Stuart Binny, Mir Kaunan Abbas, Stalin Hoover, Darshan Machaiah