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WBBL 07 Match 2: MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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WBBL 07 Match 2: MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WBBL 07 Match 2: MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes Key Players | Hobart Pitch Report

Two sides looking for redemption. Both Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes are looking to improve on last season, and have worked hard on their recruitment to do so.

Hobart’s snap lockdown reportedly won’t affect the WBBL matches, so the two sides will get their chance to make a strong start to the season on Saturday afternoon. The Renegades welcome the in-form Jemimah Rodrigues and experienced Harmanpreet Kaur of India to help guide the Renegades side possessing some fine talent in their ranks.

On the other side, the Hurricanes welcome Aussie speedster Tayla Vlaeminck after missing WBBL 06 due to a foot injury, headlining a bowling attack that now includes the WBBL’s most prolific bowler – former Renegade Molly Strano.

Two important points are up for grabs for teams looking to build confidence early in the tournament.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Melbourne Renegades:

  • Jemimah Rodrigues has been in fine form of late, and has the potential to spark great things for the Renegades. She was the second-highest run-scorer in The Hundred earlier this year (249, avg. 41.50, SR 150.90), and looked solid in the T20Is against Australia (49*, 7, 23).
  • Skipper Sophie Molineux has a half-century vs Hurricanes, but only averages 12.80 against them in 12 matches overall. She has nine wickets in these 12 matches at an average of 23.33 and economy rate of 6.18.
  • Harmanpreet Kaur has struck eight double-figure scores in a row across the T20Is vs England, Hundred and T20Is vs Australia (31, 36, 29, 49*, 26, 12, 28, 12). Can she make an impact right away here?
  • Georgia Wareham will be aiming to improve on her bowling average of 35.50 in seven matches against the Hurricanes (four wickets). She took a wicket in each of the three T20Is against India.
  • Holly Ferling is another strong addition for the Renegades, who has shifted from cross-city rivals Melbourne Stars. She has five wickets in eight matches vs Hurricanes at an economy rate of just 5.38.

Hobart Hurricanes:

  • Skipper Rachel Priest scored 42 and 34 against the Renegades in WBBL 2020. Also, Priest has scored 108 runs at Bellerive Oval at an average of 54.00 and strike rate of 145.95.
  • Mignon du Preez is a terrific addition to the Hurricanes squad. The South African will be aiming to build on her record vs Renegades, which reads: 10 inns, 229 runs, avg. 22.90, SR 108.53.
  • Nicola Carey was player of the match in the first of two meetings vs Renegades last season (3/14). She has 16 wickets against the Renegades in her 12 career games against them, as well as 108 runs (avg. 18).
  • Richa Ghosh could prove to be a very handy signing for the Hurricanes. The Indian keeper-batter looked in fine touch across formats against Australia (32*, 44, 0, 17*, 2, 23*).
  • No bowler has more wickets in WBBL than Molly Strano (104). Her first game after leaving the Renegades will be her former team, so it will be interesting to see how she performs.
  • Strano has taken six wickets in as many games at Bellerive Oval at an economy rate of just 5.11.
  • Belinda Vakarewa has 12 wickets to her name in eight matches vs Renegades, including eight in four when playing for the Hurricanes. She took 2/12 and 2/20 against them last season.
  • Tayla Vlaeminck makes her long-awaited WBBL return. The pace bowler hit good speeds in the T20Is vs India, and will be looking to build on her two wickets in that series.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 12, Renegades 5, Hurricanes 7.
  • Hurricanes beat Renegades twice in WBBL 06.
  • Both teams have won a game against each other at Bellerive Oval.

Possible Playing 11

Melbourne Renegades: 1. Sophie Molineux (c), 2. Jemimah Rodrigues, 3. Eve Jones, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur, 5. Jess Duffin, 6. Courtney Webb, 7. Josie Dooley (wk), 8. Carly Leeson, 9. Georgia Wareham, 10. Holly Ferling, 11. Ella Hayward/Ellen Falconer

Rachel Trenaman will not be available due to a serious knee injury. Also, Lizelle Lee won’t participate in the WBBL for personal reasons.

Hobart Hurricanes: 1. Rachel Priest (c & wk), 2. Naomi Stalenberg, 3. Mignon du Preez, 4. Nicola Carey, 5. Richa Ghosh, 6. Molly Strano, 7. Maisy Gibson, 8. Belinda Vakarewa, 9. Chloe Rafferty, 10. Tayla Vlaeminck, 11. Amy Smith

Bellerive Oval Hobart Pitch Report and Weather

The track looked a good one for batting on the opening night of the tournament, with Alyssa Healy slamming 57 off 27 balls to guide Sixers to their target of 100 in less than 11 overs vs Stars. Ellyse Villani also struck a quick half-century.

Showers are forecast for the morning in Hobart, and will hopefully ease by the afternoon. A cool and cloudy day is forecast, with a top of about 15 degrees.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

WBBL 07 Match 2: MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes Key Players | Hobart Pitch Report
WBBL 07 Match 2: MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WBBL 07 Match 2: MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes Key Players | Hobart Pitch Report
WBBL 07 Match 2: MR-W vs HB-W Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Rachel Priest
  • Batters: Jemimah Rodrigues, Mignon du Preez
  • All-rounders: Harmanpreet Kaur, Sophie Molineux, Nicola Carey
  • Bowlers: Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?

Match Prediction

The Hurricanes look a balanced team, even with key personnel missing. Hurricanes to win at home.

IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs KOL Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report

Five titles between them. Plenty of pedigree. World class players in either side. And another IPL trophy up for grabs to complete the redemption after poor seasons respectively in 2020.

The IPL 2021 Final features two of IPL’s most successful teams behind the Mumbai Indians, who both had contrasting runs to the big game. Chennai Super Kings have been one of the best sides all season, sitting towards the top of the league right throughout the campaign. And, despite ending the league stage with three straight defeats, MS Dhoni did what MS Dhoni does best in leading his team to victory in Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals.

As a result, they are set to compete in their ninth IPL Final. An incredible feat.

On the other side, it has been quite the journey. Kolkata Knight Riders played awful cricket in the first leg of IPL 2021, sitting second-last heading into the UAE leg. However, they have won seven from nine matches since, including two crunch matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and the top-placed Capitals. Winning in such high-pressure environments can hold KKR in great stead for this match, despite making things much more difficult for themselves in Wednesday’s Qualifier 2.

To increase the excitement further ahead of this match, CSK beat KKR by two wickets in a thriller the last time they met. It took a swipe over midwicket off the final delivery by Deepak Chahar to seal victory, and if we see anything similar today, we are in for some ride.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Chennai Super Kings:

  • What a season Ruturaj Gaikwad has had. The classy right-hander is coming off a player of the match performance in the Qualifier (70 off 50 balls), part of 603 runs in 15 matches in IPL 2021 at an average of 46.38 and strike rate of 137.35. He needs 24 runs to go past KL Rahul and become the Orange Cap winner for 2021.
  • Gaikwad struck scores of 64 (42) and 40 (28) against KKR in the league stage. Also, Gaikwad loves batting at Dubai, with four half-centuries in seven matches (325 runs, avg. 65.00, SR 130.52).
  • Faf du Plessis scored 43 (30) and 95* (60) vs KKR in the league stage. He has a fine career record against the Knight Riders, with 341 runs in 12 innings at an average of 37.89 and strike rate of 128.68.
  • Will Robin Uthappa deliver against his former franchise? He has 224 runs in 10 career matches vs KKR at an average of 22.40 and strike rate of 112.56. He produced a magnificent 63 off 44 balls in the Qualifier.
  • Can Moeen Ali make an impact after a lean run with the bat? He has scores of 17, 21, 5, 0, 16 in his last five matches.
  • Moeen struck 25 (12) and 33 (28) vs KKR in IPL 2021. Also, expect Moeen to bowl a number of overs given the number of left-handers in the KKR lineup.
  • Ravindra Jadeja was player of the match in his last meeting vs KKR (22 off 8 balls and 1/21). He has 16 wickets in 17 matches for CSK against KKR, as well as 248 runs at an average of 49.60 and strike rate of 156.96
  • Josh Hazlewood’s battle with the in form KKR opening pair can go a long way to deciding this match. Hazlewood was superb last match vs DC, with 2/29 including the dismissals of Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer.
  • Shardul Thakur had an expensive outing in the Qualifier (0/36 off 3 overs). This was his first wicketless outing in the UAE leg, as he took 13 wickets in the previous seven matches, including 2/20 vs KKR.
  • Dwayne Bravo has 11 wickets in 12 matches vs KKR at an average of 32. He has been a touch expensive in recent matches, but he remains crucial at the death for CSK.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

  • Up until four matches ago, Shubman Gill was averaging just 19 in IPL 2021. He has scored 57, 56, 29 and 46 in his last four matches, helping to provide strong starts for KKR. So, can he improve on his career average of 21 in seven matches vs CSK?
  • Gill averages 38.9 in the second innings of IPL matches compared 26.1 batting first. Also, Gill averages 34.60 in five matches at Dubai (173 runs).
  • Venkatesh Iyer has been one of the key reasons why KKR have improved in phase two. The classy left-hander was player of the match in Qualifier 2 with 55 (41), which was his fourth 25+ score in his last five matches (67, 8, 38, 26, 55).
  • Rahul Tripathi saved the day for KKR with a six off the second-last ball to win Qualifier 2. The right-hander has had a strong season, with 395 runs in 15 matches at an average of 30.38 and strike rate of 141.07. This includes a 33-ball 45 vs CSK.
  • Nitish Rana has struck a double-figure score in each of his last seven matches (37*, 36*, 31, 25, 12, 23, 12). He has a decent record for KKR vs CSK, with 179 runs in seven innings at an average of 29.83 and strike rate of 123.45.
  • Sunil Narine, who has been superb in the UAE leg, nearly pulled off a great win vs CSK earlier this season by bowling a terrific final over. He took 3/41 in that match, part of 19 wickets in 16 matches vs CSK at an average of 20.95 and economy rate of 6.28. No bowler has more wickets in CSK-KKR matches than Narine.
  • However, Dubai isn’t Narine’s favourite ground as he strikes every 48 deliveries (three wickets in 24 overs on this ground).
  • Varun Chakravarthy had nearly the identical record at Sharjah to Narine at Dubai, before bowling a terrific spell against DC (2/26). He has not conceded more than 26 in any match in the UAE leg to date, including 1/22 vs CSK.
  • Chakravarthy has five wickets in four matches vs CSK at an average of 19.40. Also, he loves bowling at Dubai, with 10 wickets in five matches at an average of 11.50 and strike rate of 12.00.
  • Lockie Ferguson’s wicket-taking ability has been key to KKR’s rise. He has taken at least one wicket in every match in the UAE leg (total of 13 scalps in seven matches), including 1/33 vs CSK.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 27, CSK 17, KKR 9, N/R 1.
  • CSK won both matches against KKR in the league stage. The latest was a thrilling two-wicket win, chasing KKR’s 171 with no deliveries to spare.
  • Kolkata Knight Riders have a 100% success rate in IPL Finals (2/2). Chennai Super Kings have won three out of eight IPL Finals to date.
  • Deepak Chahar took 4/29 in a dominant display vs KKR in the first leg of IPL 2021. He went wicketless against them in the UAE leg (0/32).
  • MS Dhoni wound back the clock in the Qualifier with his six-ball 18 to seal victory for CSK. He has 500 runs for CSK vs KKR at a superb average of 45.45 and strike rate of 139.66. He is the man to step up in pressure moments, so keep an eye on MSD.
  • Raturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis have scored 1,150 runs together this season – the most of any opening pair. However KKR could look to target Gaikwad with shorter deliveries (three dismissals to short balls out of 19 in the UAE leg).
  • Dinesh Karthik for KKR vs CSK: 8 inns, 207 runs, avg. 34.50, SR 154.48. He scored 26 off 11 balls against them in the UAE leg.
  • CSK have won all six games when chasing in IPL 2021.

Possible Playing 11

Chennai Super Kings: 1. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2. Faf du Plessis, 3. Robin Uthappa, 4. Moeen Ali, 5. Ambati Rayudu, 6. MS Dhoni (c & wk), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Shardul Thakur, 10. Deepak Chahar, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Venkatesh Iyer, 3. Rahul Tripathi, 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Eoin Morgan (c), 6. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7. Sunil Narine, 8. Shakib Al Hasan, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Varun Chakravarthy, 11. Shivam Mavi

Dubai Pitch Report and Weather

The chasing team has won the last eight matches at Dubai. With dew around, expect the captain who wins the toss to choose to chase, despite the pressure of runs on the board in a final.

Conditions are set to be all clear, as usual.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs KOL Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report | IPL Finals Dream11 | IPL Finals Dream11 Team | IPL Finals CSK vs KKR Dream11
IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs KOL Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report | IPL Finals Dream11 | IPL Finals Dream11 Team | IPL Finals CSK vs KKR Dream11
IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: MS Dhoni
  • Batsmen: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill
  • All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer
  • Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?

Match Prediction

This promises to be a cracker. KKR have the form and talent to win it, but CSK, with their experience and depth, start as favourites. CSK to win and lift the title for the fourth time.

3 players who could be the new RCB captain in IPL 2022

Charbel Coorey
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3 players who could be the new RCB captain in IPL 2022

Cricket News: 3 players who could be the new RCB captain in IPL 2022 | Looking at 3 candidates to be the RCB captain for the 2022 IPL season

IPL 2021 was another heartbreak for Royal Challengers Bangalore and their fans. RCB were defeated by the Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in the Eliminator. RCB played some very good cricket in the first-half of IPL 2021 and won four out of the seven games in the UAE leg, finishing up in third position.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli, before the start of the UAE leg, announced that this will be his last season as RCB skipper. Now that the season is over for the Bangalore boys, Virat Kohli has stepped down as the captain of the franchise and RCB will be looking for someone who can lead the team from the next IPL.

The mega auction for IPL 2022 will be held in December so there will be many players in the auction pool who can lead RCB in future, and Kohli’s captaincy replacement will be high on their agenda. While there are many players who can do that for RCB, we’ll talk about three players in particular.

Potential candidates for new RCB captain in IPL 2022

KL Rahul

Word is that KL Rahul will part ways with the Punjab Kings ahead of the mega auction. KL Rahul is a class player and one of the best batsmen in the shortest format around the globe.

Despite his poor performance as the captain of PBKS, he can be a great option for RCB. Rahul can lead the side and play his natural game as RCB has a great middle-order of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de VIlliers (expecting them to retain/RTM them) which wasn’t the case in PBKS. Rahul’s addition will be very valuable as a batter, especially as he can play aggressively at the top while leading the side.

Glenn Maxwell

Cricket News: 3 players who could be the new RCB captain in IPL 2022 | Looking at 3 candidates to be the RCB captain for the 2022 IPL season
Glenn Maxwell had a great IPL 2021 season.

Glenn Maxwell proved to be an excellent pick in IPL 2021. Maxwell was RCB’s highest run-scorer and 5th overall in IPL 2021 with 513 runs in 15 games at an average of 42.75. He was the backbone of RCB’s batting unit. Maxwell was the only consistent batter who scored runs in almost all games, scoring six half-centuries in the process (joint-highest number of fifties in this season).

RCB can appoint Maxwell as the skipper of their team. He enjoyed himself in the RCB set-up unlike any of his previous franchises and it showed in his performances. His bonding with Virat and AB looked great as well. Maxwell also leads the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, and can transfer that experience over to help RCB win their first IPL trophy.

David Warner

Cricket News: 3 players who could be the new RCB captain in IPL 2022 | Looking at 3 candidates to be the RCB captain for the 2022 IPL season
David Warner to RCB in IPL 2022?

David Warner had a horrible IPL 2021 campaign and he’ll surely want to forget this season. Sunrisers Hyderabad ended at the bottom of the points table and were the first team out of the playoffs race, winning just three matches out of 14. Warner scored 195 runs at an average of 24.37 in eight games including including half-centuries.

He was sacked as the captain of SRH and dropped from the squad mid-season. Warner got an opportunity in the UAE leg after Bairstow was unavailable, but after two games he was again dropped and didn’t even travel to the stadium with the rest of the squad.

Warner has been one of the best and most consistent batters in the IPL. He was the captain of SRH in 2016 and single-handedly won SRH the title thanks to his batting. It is clear that SRH won’t be retaining Warner or will be using a RTM card for him. We all know how good David Warner is and it’s a great opportunity for RCB to pick him and appoint him as their skipper from the next season. He will strengthen their batting as well and has already proved himself as a leader in the previous editions of the IPL.

Twitter reactions as KKR reach IPL Final & break DC hearts

Charbel Coorey
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0
Twitter reactions as KKR reach IPL Final & break DC hearts

Cricket News: Twitter reactions as KKR reach IPL Final & break DC hearts | Twitter reactions as KKR win by 3 wickets vs DC in Qualifier 2

It looked to be a very easy chase. But, Delhi Capitals showed right throughout IPL 2021 that they have the bowling attack to get them out of trouble.

Sitting pretty at 96/0 chasing 136, and then 123/1 with 25 deliveries remaining, Kolkata Knight Riders were all set to meet Chennai Super Kings in Friday’s IPL 2021 Final. However, a flurry of wickets followed, and all of a sudden, Eoin Morgan’s team needed six runs in two deliveries in a game that looked theirs for the taking.

In a tournament filled with heists, it looked like another one was on the way. However, Rahul Tripathi, who has had a fine season, deposited R Ashwin’s delivery back down the ground to send the KKR players and fans into delirium.

Earlier, Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill produced a magnificent, clinical opening stand after the Capitals huffed and puffed their way to 135/5 on a sluggish Sharjah track. Shreyas Iyer produced an important 30 not out, including a final-ball six, to give Rishabh Pant’s team a defendable total. However, as has been the case over the past three years, it was so close yet so far for the Ricky Ponting coached team.

Skipper Rishabh Pant vowed to come back stronger next season. “Can’t change anything after the match. Always we kept on believing, and stayed in the game for as long as possible. The bowlers pulled it back. They bowled really well through the middle overs. We were stuck, and unable to rotate the strike,” said Pant.

“Hopefully we can come back net year for a stronger season. We played really good cricket throughout the season. We stuck together, and cared for each other. Hopefully we will improve next year and come back strongly.”

Twitter reactions as KKR progress to the IPL 2021 Final

WBBL 07 Match 1: SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
WBBL 07 Match 1: SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WBBL 07 Match 1: SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars Key Players | Bellerive Oval Hobart Pitch Report

The biggest and best T20 league in women’s cricket is back for another year, and this season promises to be a cracker. WBBL 07 is all set to begin in Hobart, with two sides keen to make a good start.

Sydney Sixers, despite possessing star-studded lineups, have missed the finals in the past two years. Two fifth-placed finishes is certainly not good enough for the Sixers, who now have Shafali Verma among the talented Australian core including Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner. So, a strong start can set the tone for a good campaign.

Melbourne Stars, last year’s finalists, will also be looking to make a mark early in the tournament. However, they will have to perform this season without magnificent talent in their ranks this time around. England stars Natalie Sciver and Katherine Brunt are unavailable to return this season, while South Africa Mignon du Preez has moved to Hobart and Australian leg-spinner Alana King is with the Scorchers. So, the onus will be on the Aussie core – particularly Meg Lanning and Annbel Sutherland – to lead the way.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Sydney Sixers:

  • Alyssa Healy has an outstanding record vs Stars. She has smashed 394 runs in 10 innings at an average of 43.78 and strike rate of 164.85. However, she averages just 17 in 10 T20s at Hobart, so it will be interesting to see how she fares here.
  • Can Shafali Verma make an immediate impact. The 17-year old from India has been outstanding in leading her teams to wins, averaging 36.15 and striking at 152.21 in 22 such matches. Interestingly, she averages just 9.81 in the 21 matches her team has lost.
  • Ellyse Perry may move down the order from her usual opening position. She has the most runs in Sixers-Stars matches, with 428 runs in 11 matches at an average of 61.14 and strike rate of 106.73. She will be aiming to come back from a quiet T20I series against India.
  • Perry’s 191 runs at Hobart come at an average of 63.67. Also, she has 10 wickets in as many matches on this ground in T20s.
  • Ashleigh Gardner has worked hard on her bowling in 2021, and it showed with her efforts against India (2/28, 1/12, 1/22). She also has a century against Melbourne Stars in T20 cricket (overall average of 27).
  • Eyes will be on Stella Campbell in WBBL 07. As one of the country’s up-and-coming pacers, Campbell will be looking to build on solid performances vs India in the tour match (3/38) and ODI (1/41).

Melbourne Stars:

  • Given that the likes of Nat Sciver and Mignon du Preez are not longer available for the Stars, eyes will be on Annabel Sutherland who is expected to have greater responsibility with both bat and ball.
  • She has had limited opportunities vs Sixers to date (3 inns, 27 runs, avg. 27.00) and one wicket at an average of 53.00.
  • Meg Lanning has a key role to play. The skipper has a fine record for the Stars against the Sixers, with 247 runs in five matches at an average of 82.33 and strike rate of 121.08.
  • Also, Lanning loves batting at Hobart. She has scored 310 runs in nine matches on this ground at an average of 51.67 and strike rate of 121.57.
  • Ellyse Villani has scored 356 runs at an average of 32.26 in 12 matches against the Sixers. Also, Villani prefers to chase in T20s, averaging 36.61 in 119 such matches compared to 25.27 in 113 games batting first.
  • Maia Boucher was in some decent form in the recent Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in England, striking scores of 30, 40 and 33 for the Vipers.
  • Tess Flintoff took 11 wickets in 14 matches in WBBL 06 at an average of 20. She has three wickets in as many matches vs Sixers (avg. 23.67). Sophie Day also took 11 wickets last season (avg. 21).

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 12, Sixers 5, Stars 6, N/R 1.
  • Sydney Sixers have won the last three completed matches between the teams.
  • Kim Garth was in some decent form domestically earlier in 2021, and could be a fine addition to the Stars team.

Possible Playing 11

Erin Burns will miss the opening rounds of WBBL for personal reasons.

Sydney Sixers: 1. Alyssa Healy (wk), 2. Shafali Verma, 3. Ellyse Perry (c), 4. Nicole Bolton, 5. Ashleigh Gardner, 6. Matilda Lugg, 7. Angela Reakes, 8. Maitlan Brown, 9. Radha Yadav, 10. Lauren Cheatle, 11. Stella Campbell

Melbourne Stars: 1. Elyse Villani, 2. Meg Lanning (c), 3. Kim Garth, 4. Annabel Sutherland, 5. Maia Bouchier, 6. Nicole Faltum (wk), 7. Erin Osborne, 8. Maddy Darke, 9. Linsey Smith, 10. Tess Flintoff, 11. Sophie Day

Bellerive Oval Hobart Pitch Report and Weather

Bellerive Oval played host to four WBBL matches in 2019. The average first innings score was 152 on a ground which was also good for batting in the men’s BBL last season. Expect a true surface here.

Unfortunately, there is some rain forecast for afternoon and evening in Hobart. This could be a shortened match.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

WBBL 07 Match 1: SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars Key Players | Bellerive Oval Hobart Pitch Report
WBBL 07 Match 1: SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WBBL 07 Match 1: SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars Key Players | Bellerive Oval Hobart Pitch Report
WBBL 07 Match 1: SS-W vs MS-W Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Alyssa Healy
  • Batters: Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma
  • All-rounders: Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner
  • Bowlers: Stella Campbell, Radha Yadav

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?

Match Prediction

Sydney Sixers have the talent but have not performed consistently in the past two seasons. However, Melbourne Stars have lost a lot of quality, so the Sixers look a good pick for this match.

IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KOL vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report

Kolkata Knight Riders’ magnificent run continued with victory under pressure against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator. But it wasn’t just any victory. It was a victory that forces Delhi Capitals to take note, particularly with Sunil Narine in vintage form.

As the weather starts to cool down a little more in the UAE, the heat on the field increases. Everything is on the line here for a spot in the IPL Final against Chennai Super Kings, and this match has the potential to a cracker.

KKR’s sixth win in eight matches in the UAE leg puts them one game away from the final. Not many could have imagined that the men in purple would be here given they were sitting second-last after the Indian leg, but not many could argue they don’t deserve it either. In addition to Narine, who was player of the match on this ground vs DC earlier this season, the likes of Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Lockie Ferguson have been producing the goods, among others.

So, KKR is certainly capable of giving Delhi a tough game. It will be a test of nerve for Rishabh Pant’s team, who were right in the contest against CSK but fell agonisingly short. The ingredients are there – particularly in the bowling attack – to cause KKR problems, but it all has to click in a do-or-die contest.

How will DC deal with the possibility of being eliminated before the final after finishing top? We shall see.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Delhi Capitals:

  • Prithvi Shaw, who is coming off a fine 60 against CSK, smashed a 52-ball 84 vs KKR earlier this season. The right-hander has the potential to take the game away from KKR, which could be crucial given the slow Sharjah track.
  • Shaw has an outstanding record vs KKR. He has smashed 323 runs in five matches at an average of 64.60 and strike rate of 171.81. Key player.
  • DC will also want Shikhar Dhawan to hit his best form. The experienced left-hander has made starts in recent matches but has not scored the big runs expected of him. He scored 46 (47) and 24 (20) vs KKR in the league stage, part of 758 career runs against them at an average of 29.15 and strike rate of 115.
  • Shreyas Iyer has the most runs of any current DC player against KKR. The right-hander has scored 426 runs in 13 matches against them at an average of 38.73 and strike rate of 154.35. He was bowled by Sunil Narine on this ground for 1 earlier in the season.
  • Rishabh Pant will be crucial to his team’s hopes. The skipper is coming off a 35-ball 51* vs CSK, part of a string of scores in the UAE leg of IPL 2021 (35*, 24, 39, 26, 15, 10, 51*).
  • Pant has a modest average of 24 vs KKR in 11 matches, with a strike rate of 140.31. He scored a 36-ball 39 against them on this ground earlier this season.
  • Can Avesh Khan bounce back after a bit of a disappointing outing vs CSK? He was superb against KKR at Sharjah a couple of weeks ago, taking 3/13.
  • Anrich Nortje has been in fine form in the UAE leg, taking at least one wicket in each of his seven matches (2/12, 2/18, 1/15, 1/19, 1/37, 2/24, 1/31).

Kolkata Knight Riders:

  • Sunil Narine is in some remarkable form. He was player of the match at Sharjah vs DC earlier this season (2/18 and 21 off 10 balls), and then again in an unbelievable all-round display vs RCB (4/21 and 26 off 15 balls).
  • Narine has the most wickets of any bowler in KKR-DC matches, with 22 in 18 games at an average of 20.73 and economy rate of 6.81.
  • Three games ago, Shubman Gill had an average of just 19 in IPL 2021. He has scored 57, 56 and 29 since. The classy right-hander is in some decent touch, and this is the time to take advantage.
  • Gill scored 30 (33) and 43 (38) vs DC this season. Also, Gill has a solid record at Sharjah, with 234 runs in six matches at an average/strike rate of 39/125.13.
  • Venkatesh Iyer has struck 67, 8, 38 and 26 in his last four matches. He scored a 15-ball 14 against DC earlier this season. If he makes a start today, can he build on it?
  • Nitish Rana is also in some fine touch, which includes a crucial 27-ball 36* against DC earlier in IPL 2021. He has struck a double-figure score in each of his last six matches (37*, 36*, 31, 25, 12, 23).
  • How good has Lockie Ferguson been? The pace bowler has been in the wickets in every game he has played in the UAE leg (12 scalps in six matches), including 2/10 vs DC at Sharjah.
  • Varun Chakravarthy has taken six wickets in four matches vs DC at an average of 21. However, while he has been economical, Sharjah isn’t a big wicket-taking ground for Varun (24 overs, three wickets, avg. 55.33, SR 48.00).

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 29, DC 13, KKR 15, N/R 1.
  • Both DC and KKR won a game each against each other in IPL 2021. The last meeting saw KKR (130/7) chase down DC’s 127/9 at Sharjah.
  • Expect KKR to send Sunil Narine up the order. He has a strike rate of 287.5 against Ashwin and 187.5 against Axar in T20 cricket, without getting out to either bowler across 29 deliveries.
  • Kagiso Rabada is wicketless in his last four matches and is conceding 10.84 per over in the death overs this season. Anrich Nortje, on the other hand, is conceding just 6.81 per over at this stage.
  • Ashwin has the worst average and strike rate among bowlers who have bowled at least 40 overs in IPL 2021 (avg. 60.80, SR 49.0).
  • Rishabh Pant in IPL playoff matches: 199 runs in six innings, at an average of 49.75 and a strike rate of 151.91.

Possible Playing 11

Marcus Stoinis’ fitness is still up in the air, and it remains to be seen if DC bring him back for a knockout match. They could persist with Curran, who took three wickets.

Delhi Capitals: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Prithvi Shaw, 3. Shreyas Iyer, 4. Rishabh Pant (c & wk), 5. Shimron Hetmyer, 6. Tom Curran/Marcus Stoinis, 7. Axar Patel, 8. R Ashwin, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Anrich Nortje, 11. Avesh Khan

Andre Russell is training in the nets, but KKR may look to stick with Shakib Al Hasan despite a number of left-handers in DC’s lineup.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Venkatesh Iyer, 3. Rahul Tripathi, 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Eoin Morgan (c), 6. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7. Shakib Al Hasan, 8. Sunil Narine, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Varun Chakravarthy, 11. Shivam Mavi

Sharjah Pitch Report and Weather

The team who has scored more runs in the powerplay has won eight of the nine matches at Sharjah this season, indicating that run-scoring becomes more difficult after the sixth over.

The average first innings score at Sharjah this season is 137.11, with the chasing team winning six of the nine matches.

More warm and clear weather is forecast.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KOL vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KOL vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Rishabh Pant
  • Batsmen: Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill
  • All-rounders: Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer
  • Bowlers: Anrich Nortje, Lockie Ferguson

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?

Match Prediction

150 will be a key target for the team batting first in a pressure game. KKR’s great form can hold them in great stead, but DC possess a terrific bowling attack that might just be the difference. DC to win in a tight one.

Twitter reactions as CSK reach another IPL Final

Nash Sant
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0
Twitter reactions as CSK reach another IPL Final

Cricket News: Twitter reactions as CSK reach another IPL Final | Gaikwad, Uthappa and Dhoni lead CSK to win over DC in Qualifier 1

After finishing seventh last year in the UAE, MS Dhoni promised the fans that they will come back bigger and stronger next year. And so they did. With MSD’s captaincy and all the players knowing their roles in the team, CSK has yet again reached an IPL final in the 2021 season. 

They battled it out with Delhi Capitals in the Qualifier 1 and to Delhi’s credit, they set a target which seemed very good at the innings break. Prithvi Shaw guided the Capitals in the powerplay until he was dismissed for 60. Delhi’s top order apart from Shaw looked shaky and they were left reeling at 80-4 when Rishabh Pant and Shimron Hetmyer got together to steady the innings and take the Capitals to a defendable total of 172-5.

Pant played a captains’ knock and kept the scoring run rate above 10 per over for the last five overs. After finishing the 15th over at 114/4, some great hitting from Pant and Hetmyer meant Capitals scored 58 runs in this period.

Super Kings were once again anchored by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa at the top after losing Du Plessis early. The pair put on a partnership of 110 for the second wicket, but at the 15th over mark even that was looking like it won’t be enough as Capitals managed to get back into the game with a couple of quick wickets and CSK were left reeling at 121-4.

But with Ali, Jadeja and Dhoni still to come, CSK did not seem to panic one bit till they lost Gaikwad on the first ball of the 19th over. But then came the master stroke from MS Dhoni who we have seen time and again take decisions which are not well received at first but end up being really good decisions in the end. He promoted himself ahead of Jadeja, who has been quite sublime with the bat for CSK in the death.

At the fall of Gaikwad, the win probability for CSK was at 27%. Moeen Ali and MS Dhoni certainly did not tend to acknowledge the win probability at all and took the Capitals’ bowlers to the cleaners as they scored 11 runs from the penultimate over and 13 in the last one to take Super Kings to another IPL final. Even though CSK lost Ali at the start of the last over skying one off Tom Curran, Dhoni got on strike and hammered three fours in three balls to carry CSK over the line.

Capitals’ and Pant ended up giving the last over to Tom Curran when Rabada had one over left. In hindsight there will be key learning taken from this game for Capitals before they take on the winner of Eliminator (RCB vs KKR) in the Qualifier 2. 

Twitter reactions as CSK reach yet another IPL Final

https://twitter.com/_cricketsparsh/status/1447397329548419076?s=20
https://twitter.com/aradhyablanco/status/1447261288086663169?s=20

Written by Nash Sant. Follow Nash on Twitter today

IPL 2021 Eliminator: RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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IPL 2021 Eliminator: RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Eliminator: RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report

Things have been different for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2021. The addition of Glenn Maxwell, which looked a risk for such a big price at the auction, has paid significant dividends as he has helped RCB reduce their reliance on the great AB de Villiers. Also, their bowling attack, led by Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal, has had a sense of reliability compared to years gone by.

But now these key factors will be put to the ultimate test. Can RCB – a franchise boasting the biggest and best names over the years – finally produce in the pressure moments? Their great victory over Delhi Capitals a few days ago can hold them in good stead after a disappointing defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad cost them a top two finish. Here, they will be out to ensure that missing the top two is no issue as a place in Qualifier 2 vs Delhi is up for grabs.

But it won’t be easy. Kolkata Knight Riders have been outstanding in phase two, rising from the depths of second-last to fourth spot. Remember, they blew RCB away at the start of the UAE leg, rolling them for just 92 in a superb bowling performance. Also, KKR blew Rajasthan Royals a few days back for another sub-100 total, so if they can find wickets in the powerplay, they have the confidence and form to build on it.

A lot may also depend on Andre Russell’s availability. He has a superb record against RCB, and his contributions at the death with both bat and ball could prove crucial on a slow Sharjah track. All to play for.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

  • Glenn Maxwell has been simply outstanding. The Australian has scored four half-centuries in his last five matches, which could have easily been five had it not been for a run out against SRH.
  • Maxwell slammed 78 off 49 balls vs KKR earlier in IPL 2021, before falling for just 7 against them in his first match of the UAE leg. Also, Maxwell enjoys batting at Sharjah, with three half-centuries in five games including 57 in his last match on this ground.
  • Fans are waiting for Virat Kohli to hit top form. The RCB skipper has scored just 59 runs in his last four innings, and made just the twin scores of 5 vs KKR in the league stage.
  • No player has more runs than Virat in RCB-KKR matches, with 735 in 25 innings at an average of 35.00 and strike rate of 128.72.
  • What a superb knock it was by Srikar Bharat against Delhi Capitals (78* off 52 balls). Now RCB can focus on playing him in his preferred position of number three in a big game.
  • AB de Villiers is still seeking his best form in the UAE leg. The great batsman has a strike rate of 163.38 in 18 innings for RCB vs KKR (464 runs, avg. 35.69). He smashed 76* off 34 balls against KKR at Chennai earlier this season.
  • What a season Harshal Patel is having. His 30 wickets are the most ever by an Indian bowler in an IPL season, and he will be a factor on the slow Sharjah surface. He took 2/17 vs KKR on the slow Chennai pitch earlier in IPL 2021.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal took just four wickets in the first seven matches of IPL 2021. In the UAE leg, Chahal has been superb, taking 12 wickets in seven matches with at least one scalp in each game.
  • Chahal has taken 17 wickets in 16 games for RCB vs KKR at an average of 26. He enjoys bowling at Sharjah, with figures of 1/26 and 3/29 this season.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

  • Shubman Gill comes into this match on the back of two half-centuries. Encouragingly, he scored his last half-century whilst batting first, which is usually difficult for Gill (average of 26.1 compared to 39.1 batting second).
  • Gill scored 48 in his last outing vs RCB after KKR rolled them for 92. He will be aiming to continue to improve his record vs RCB that reads: 7 inns, 121 runs, avg. 24.20, SR 134.44.
  • Venkatesh Iyer has been key to KKR’s rise this season (7 inns, 239 runs, avg. 39.83, SR 129.18). He struck 41* on IPL debut vs RCB earlier this season.
  • Rahul Tripathi has also been key to KKR’s form even though he hasn’t scored big runs in his last four matches (9, 34, 7, 21). He has scored 377 runs in 13 innings this season at an average of 31.41 and strike rate of 142.80.
  • Tripathi has a poor record for KKR vs RCB (3 inns, 42 runs), but has a fine career record against them in IPL (8 inns, 238 runs, avg. 47.60, SR 129.35).
  • Nitish Rana has a solid record for KKR vs RCB: 7 inns, 198 runs, avg. 39.60, SR 152.31. He has made a double-figure score in each of his last five matches (37*, 36*, 31, 25, 12), so will be looking to build on that today if he gets the opportunity.
  • Andre Russell’s fitness could be a key factor in deciding today’s result. He has an unbelievable record vs RCB, with 339 runs at an average of 48.43 and strike rate of 215.92. He also has 10 wickets in 11 matches, including 3/9 earlier this season where he dismissed AB de Villiers with a great yorker first ball.
  • Varun Chakravarthy was player of the match vs RCB in the UAE leg (3/13). He has five wickets in four matches against them at an average of 21. Interestingly, though, Chakravarthy has taken just three wickets in five matches at Sharjah, striking every 40 balls.
  • Lockie Ferguson has been brilliant in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. He has taken 10 wickets in five matches, including 2/24 vs RCB. Genuine wicket-taker. As is Shivam Mavi on this ground, after his haul of 4/21 vs RR.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 29, RCB 13, KKR 16.
  • Both teams won a game against each other this season. The latest was a thumping win for KKR by nine wickets, after RCB won the previous four matches.
  • Virat Kohli has scored just 42 runs off 47 deliveries vs spin in the UAE leg. He hasn’t been dismissed by spin in this period, but KKR could look to employ spin to keep the RCB skipper quiet.
  • In contrast, Glenn Maxwell has smashed 101 runs off 63 balls vs spin in the middle overs in the UAE leg.
  • Interestingly, the team who has scored more in the powerplay has gone on to win each match at Sharjah this season. Scoring against the new ball will be key.

Possible Playing 11

Royal Challengers: 1. Virat Kohli (c), 2. Devdutt Padikkal, 3. KS Bharat (wk), 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. AB de Villiers, 6. Dan Christian, 7. Shahbaz Ahmed, 8. George Garton/Wanindu Hasaranga, 9. Harshal Patel, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Venkatesh Iyer, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Rahul Tripathi, 5. Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6. Eoin Morgan (c), 7. Andre Russell/Shakib Al Hasan, 8. Sunil Narine, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Varun Chakravarthy, 11. Shivam Mavi

Sharjah Pitch Report and Weather

Slow and sluggish is the narrative at Sharjah this season. The fact that all teams who scored more in the powerplay went on to win their matches at Sharjah suggests the scoring gets really tough once the ball gets older.

The average first innings score on this ground this season is 137, with the chasing team winning five of the eight matches. Any score in the region of 150-160 should be a tough chase.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

IPL 2021 Eliminator: RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Eliminator: RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Eliminator: RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Eliminator: RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: KS Bharat
  • Batsmen: Shubman Gill, AB de Villiers
  • All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Andre Russell
  • Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Lockie Ferguson

Match Prediction

This one has the makings to be close like last night’s match. RCB start as favourites, but don’t discount KKR especially if they can restrict RCB to around the 130-140 mark.

Exclusive: “We went to the US Army Centre to train” – USA captain Saurabh Netravalkar

Nash Sant
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0
Exclusive: “We went to the US Army Centre to train” – USA captain Saurabh Netravalkar

Cricket News: Exclusive: “We went to the US Army Centre to train” – US Cricket Captain, Saurabh Netravalkar | USA skipper talks USA cricket

In 2015, when Saurabh Netravalkar made the move to the United States for his higher education, little did he know that life will again drop him right where he belonged – on a cricket field.

Saurabh Netravalkar started his journey on the maidans of Mumbai at the age of 10 and slowly worked his way up in the Mumbai cricketing circles. He represented Mumbai in Under-15s, Under-17s, Under-19s and Under-25s. But Saurabh reckons that playing the Under-19 World Cup for India was his highest achievement back then. “Gradually growing through the ranks, I managed to make my way to play for the India under-19 team which was a dream come true,” said Netravalkar in an exclusive interview with The CricBlog Podcast.

Saurabh made his debut for Mumbai in FC cricket in 2015 and after being in and out of the team, he decided to make the move to the US. “I split my journey into two innings, where this (playing Cricket in the US) was a surprise when I least expected to play Cricket in the US”.

“Associate cricket is mentally tougher than full member” – Saurabh Netravalkar

Saurabh made the United States team in 2018 after strong performances in club cricket. Back then, the team was in the startup phase, where US coach Pubudu Dassanayake was scouting for players to represent the national side.

”We had a visionary coach in Pubudu. We built the team from scratch and we worked really hard for the next two years, and we beat the likes of Kenya in Division 3 and beating the likes of Canada and Namibia in Division 2,” said the US captain.

Saurabh also thinks that playing Associate Cricket is mentally tough especially due such limited opportunities. Plus, whenever they get a chance, it is always a make or break situation. The Associate nations may end up playing only 6-8 games in a year and the results go a long way in getting the much-needed funding to help strengthen their cricket.

“We have to make that week count”, Saurabh said in the interview. “It was a special feeling to go through the grind with the bunch of guys working hard for a year, we went through the US olympic training and we went to the US Army Centre to train.”

USA cricket focuses on stronger domestic leagues & youth

US Cricket has made developments in the cricketing structure in the country. Their focus has been on the youth and with that view Minor League Cricket was established with an eye on developing Major League Cricket down the line.

Minor League Cricket saw 210 games being played across the country. The league comprised 27 teams divided into 4 divisions. “There is a lot of emphasis on youth, they are investing a lot in the Under-19 programs and the Women’s programs”, Saurabh said. “The Minor League Cricket had a rule where teams had to play two Under-19 players and one Under-21 player along with the international players. So the young players got a chance to share the dressing rooms with the liesk of Unmukt Chand, Rovman Powell, Ashley Nurse.”

Saurabh hopes that Major League Cricket, likely to be established in 2022, will help US cricket to build a similar structure to the likes of Baseball in the country.

“US Cricket has academies across the US, where the overseas players travelling as professionals, are involved in mentoring the youth,” said Netravalkar.

Aiming for 2023 ODI World Cup & will be a dream come true to play India one day – Netravalkar

Saurabh also spoke about his vision for USA Cricket. “I have been telling the coach for the last two years, we have to aim to play the 2023 WC in India. We have 20 more games to go and win most of them but I believe this team has the potential and if we get to the WC and beat full member nations, we can leave our mark on the competition and we can show that we have a right on the circuit.

Obviously another goal is to aim for the LA Olympics in 2028 and there are talks about Cricket being a part, so it will be great for the team to be a part of it.”

Saurabh dreams of one day playing regular cricket matches against full-member nations and playing against India will definitely be a dream come true for him. He also believes that the US can compete regularly with full-member nations in the coming years.

“The best we can definitely compete with full-member nations in the next 4-5 years; there definitely is the potential”, said the USA captain.

His key area to focus on as a captain for USA Cricket is consistency. Saurabh said, ”We have the pieces, but what we lack is the consistency. Also considering the 2023 WC, we need to imbibe the youngsters into the team, who can take the team forward.”

It will be a waiting game for Saurabh and USA Cricket for now as they look to qualify for the 2022 T20 WC and also keep an eye on the 2023 WC in India. But one thing is for sure, with the amount of resources that USA has in the country, US Cricket can definitely be a force to reckoned with in the near future.

Watch the interview below or listen to the podcast here

Written by Nash Sant. Follow Nash on Twitter today

IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report

So, here we are. After 56 matches across two countries and numerous scenarios, the playoffs are all set to begin. To kick off, a team who has never won the IPL – Delhi Capitals – can take a huge step to rectifying that stat by beating three-time champions Chennai Super Kings.

Their meeting a week ago was potentially the first of three meetings between now and the IPL 2021 Final. The Capitals prevailed in a close contest, but as that match and the RCB meeting showed, there are still some areas for Rishabh Pant’s men to work on. Mainly, they will want to nail their finishing from a batting perspective, as well as bounce back quickly from Srikar Bharat and Glenn Maxwell’s onslaught on Friday evening.

Talking of bouncing back quickly, CSK need to do the same. They come into the playoffs on the back of three straight defeats, with the latest being a thumping defeat at the hands of KL Rahul. However, skipper MS Dhoni is too good and experienced as a leader to let that impact his team. The playoffs are a whole new ball game, and CSK will be keen to fix these three key things and get back on track.

So which team can hold their nerve best in Dubai? Delhi have won two of their three matches on this ground this season, including that tough victory over MS Dhoni’s team. In contrast, CSK have won just one of their three games at Dubai, with their only victory coming courtesy of a remarkable comeback vs Mumbai Indians after a terrible start.

All to play for with a spot in the IPL 2021 Final up for grabs.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Delhi Capitals:

  • Shikhar Dhawan scored 124 runs in the two matches vs CSK in the league stage (85 off 54 balls and 39 off 35 balls). The left-hander has made three 20+ scores in his last four matches, so will today be the day he goes past 50? He has the third-most runs in IPL 2021, with 544 at an average of 41.84 and strike rate of 128.
  • Dhawan loves playing CSK. In 25 matches against them, Dhawan has ammassed 901 runs at an average of 42.90 and strike rate of 129.27. Also, Dhawan has been solid in Dubai this season, with scores of 42, 39 and 43.
  • Prithvi Shaw has not been able to replicate his first leg form in the second, but his 48 vs RCB might just be the catalyst to a change in form. Shaw did score a whirlwind 72 (37) vs CSK early in the season, but has a modest record overall vs CSK (9 inns, 213 runs, avg. 23.67, SR 147.92).
  • Also, Shaw averages just 20.50 in 10 matches Dubai. Can he improve on these numbers in a big game?
  • It is a big game for Shreyas Iyer who has scored 47*, 2 (vs CSK) and 18 at Dubai this season. Overall vs CSK, Iyer has struck 235 runs in 10 matches at an average of 26.11 and strike rate of 110.33.
  • Rishabh Pant to produce a big innings? The DC skipper has a great overall record vs CSK, with 252 runs at an average of 42.00 and strike rate of 156.62. He has made scores of 35*, 15 (vs CSK) and 10 at Dubai this season, so the time is now to make a substantial score.
  • Axar Patel has been brilliant in IPL 2021 (10 inns, 15 wickets, avg. 16.73, econ. 6.43). He was player of the match against CSK on this ground last week (2/18), and has a total of five scalps in three matches on this ground this season.
  • Avesh Khan has been a revelation this season, with the second-most wickets (22, avg. 17.31, econ. 7.38). Three of them came against CSK (2/23 and 1/35), but he has just the one wicket to his name in three matches at Dubai in IPL 2021.
  • Anrich Nortje has taken nine wickets in six matches this season at a superb average of 13.88 and economy rate of 5.59. He has taken at least one wicket in every match, including five in three games at Dubai.

Chennai Super Kings:

  • How will Ruturaj Gaikwad cope with Delhi’s pace? He has scored 13 and 12 since his majestic 101* vs the Royals, so he will be looking for a big response today.
  • He has just the 23 runs in three innings vs DC at an average of 7.67. However, a player with such a brilliant record this season (14 inns, 533 runs, avg. 44.41, SR 137.01) can never be discounted.
  • A 25+ score coming for Faf du Plessis? The right-hander has struck four scores of 25+ in his last five matches, including 76* in his last outing vs Punjab on this ground. Also, he averages 30.27 in 11 innings vs Delhi.
  • This is a big game for Moeen Ali, who has fallen away a little with 43 runs in his last four innings. Also, Moeen has struggled at Dubai this season, with just five runs in three innings, including two ducks.
  • He scored 36 (24) and 5 (8) vs DC in the league stage, and could be a key bowler against DC’s left-handers. He is always a player to watch given his ability to deliver on any given day.
  • Ambati Rayudu has been one of the real positives of CSK’s season. His 256 runs come at an average of 32.00 and strike rate of 153.29, including knocks of 23 (16) and 55* (43) vs DC. Overall for CSK vs DC, Rayudu has scored 244 runs at an average of 61.00 and strike rate of 148.78.
  • Ravindra Jadeja has struck 459 runs since the beginning of IPL 2020 at an incredible average of 57.38 and strike rate of 157.37. Overall for CSK vs DC, Jadeja has scored 188 runs in 12 innings at an average of 31.33 and strike rate of 146.88. He also has 14 wickets in 15 innings at an average of 24, including 2/28 last week on this ground.
  • Dwayne Bravo will be key at the death. He was expensive vs DC last week (1.4 overs, 1/20) and went the distance vs Punjab too (0/32 off two overs). However, before that, Bravo was superb, taking figures of 3/25, 3/24 and 2/17.
  • Overall for CSK vs DC, Bravo has 16 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 23.19.
  • Need something to happen? Call on Shardul Thakur. Thakur has been outstanding in the UAE leg, with 13 wickets in seven matches including 2/13 in four overs vs DC. Importantly, he has taken at least one wicket in each of those seven matches.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 25, DC 10, CSK 15.
  • Delhi Capitals beat Chennai Super Kings twice in the league stage, and have won their last four matches against them.
  • Ashwin has dismissed just two right-handers in IPL 2021 at an economy of at 8.1 compared to 6.3 against left-handers.
  • Shimron Hetmyer will be key as DC’s finisher. With some luck, he did score a crucial 28 off 18 balls to beat CSK last week. His 188 runs this season come at an average of 37.60 and strike rate of 170.90.
  • Kagiso Rabada is wicketless in his last three matches, including vs CSK. He does have five wickets in four matches against them at an average of 21.20, and strikes every 17 deliveries at Dubai (16 wickets). He is capable of bouncing back.
  • Deepak Chahar has dominated Prithvi Shaw in T20 cricket, with six dismissals in 56 deliveries for just 62 runs.

Possible Playing 11

Delhi Capitals are hopeful that Marcus Stoinis will be available for this match.

Delhi Capitals: 1. Prithvi Shaw, 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Rishabh Pant (c & wk), 4. Shreyas Iyer, 5. Shimron Hetmyer, 6. Marcus Stoinis/Ripal Patel, 7. Axar Patel, 8. R Ashwin, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Anrich Nortje, 11. Avesh Khan

CSK have a decision to make on Suresh Raina or Robin Uthappa. Raina has the second-most runs in CSK-DC matches (552, avg. 29.05), but DC have a battery of pacers to test him with short stuff.

Chennai Super Kings: 1. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2. Faf du Plessis, 3. Moeen Ali, 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. Robin Uthappa/Suresh Raina, 6. MS Dhoni (c & wk), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Shardul Thakur, 10. Deepak Chahar, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Dubai Pitch Report and Weather

The chasing team has won seven of 10 night matches at Dubai this season. The average first innings score in all Dubai matches this season is 151.54, so the toss can prove quite crucial given dew is likely.

More clear conditions are forecast in the UAE.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Option 1:

IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: DC vs CSK Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Rishabh Pant
  • Batsmen: Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad
  • All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel
  • Bowlers: Avesh Khan, Shardul Thakur

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?

Match Prediction

This has the potential to be a classic. Given that chasing teams have an edge at Dubai, this one could come down to whether the team bowling first can restrict their opponent to around the 140-150 mark. DC start as favourites, but this will be close.

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