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AUS-W vs IND-W 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Yash Mittal
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AUS-W vs IND-W 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

AUS-W vs IND-W 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AU-W vs IN-W 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Australia Women vs India Women 3rd T20 Key Players | Carrara Pitch Report

It was yet another ‘so-close-yet-so-far’ moment for Team India as the visitors once again failed to seize the initiative from a position of strength In the second T20I to concede the multi-format series to Australia on Friday.

That the Indians managed to get themselves into a position where they could think of winning the game was largely due to an unbeaten 37 by Pooja Vastrakar that took them to a defendable total of 118 after being reduced to 9-81 at one stage.

Then the bowling-unit led by seamer Shikha Pandey got into the act. Pandey produced an absolute Jaffa to knock over Alyssa Healy in the very first over. The spinners took over the mantle after the powerplay as Australia lost half their side for a mere 76 runs.

However, some strange tactics by captain Harmanpreet Kaur including not bowling spinners at the backend, poor fielding and equally poor death bowling the seamers coupled by brilliant composure by Tahila McGrath ensured that the Aussies sealed the multi-nation rubber with one game to go.

Can India square the three-match T20I series or will Australia secure a 2-0 win?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Australia Women: 

  • Beth Mooney: The southpaw was second-highest run-getter for Australia in the second T20I. She steered the fledgling ship after the early dismissal of Alyssa Healy. The left-hander scored a 36-ball 34 which included 4 fours.
  • Alyssa Healy: The wicketkeeper-batsman was undone by a vicious nip-backer from Shikha Pandey in the last game. She will be looking to put up a good performance in the final match of the series.
  • Tahlia McGrath: The young batter once again showed nerves of steel as she timed her assault to perfection to steer Australia past the finishing line after a middle-order collapse. She scored an unbeaten 33-ball 42 which included six boundaries.
  • Ashleigh Gardner: She may not have scored runs but the middle-order batter made sure she made an impact with the ball as she registered figures of 1/12 in four overs. She’ll be looking to back it up with a good score with the bat in the next game.
  • Sophie Molineux: The left-arm orthodox gave away just 11 runs in her spell of 4 overs and claimed two wickets including the prized scalp of Jemimah Rodrigues.

India Women:

  • Smriti Mandhana: The stylish opener missed out in the second T20I as she managed a 5-ball 1 before being dismissed by Tayla Vlaeminck. She will be crucial to India’s fortunes in the final T20I.
  • Shafali Verma: The young opener too failed to light up the Metricon Stadium in the second T20I, managing a mere 7-ball 3. The onus will be on her and Smriti to provide India a platform in the 3rd T20I.
  • Jemmimah Rodrigues: After smashing an unbeaten 36-ball 49 in the first game, Rodrigues endured a poor outing on Friday as she managed a 13-ball 7.
  • Harmanpreet Kaur: The Indian skipper smashed five fours during her 20-ball 28 besides claiming the wicket of Ashleigh Gardner during her 2-over spell [1/9]
  • Rajeshwari Gayakwad: She, along with Shikha Pandey, was the pick of the Indian bowlers. In 4 overs, the left-arm orthodox claimed three wickets at the expense of just 21 runs.
  • Shikha Pandey: The seamer ensured that India didn’t miss Jhulan Goswami at the start of the innings as she set the tone by dismissing Healy with an unplayable nip-backer. She registered figures of 1/27 in 4 overs.

Stats and Facts

  • Both sides have squared 22 times in T20Is with Australia leading the ledger 15-6.
  • In the last seven completed games, Australia lead the ledger 4-3.
  • Australia have won the multi-format series 9-5.

Possible Playing 11

Australia Women: 

Alyssa Healy (WK), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning ©, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Hannah Darlington, Tayla Vlaeminck

India Women:

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur © , Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh

Carrara Oval pitch report and weather conditions

The pitch at Carrara Oval has proved to be a batting paradise but in the last game, we saw a change of pace do the trick.

As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be cloudy. The temperatures are set to hover between 19-28 degrees Celsius. Humidity is set to be around 55  percent.

Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Alyssa Healy
  • Batters: Beth Mooney, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues
  • All-rounders: Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner
  • Bowlers: Sophie Molineux, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

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

Match Prediction

Australia will once again start as slight favorites.

Written by Yash Mittal. Follow Yash on Twitter today.

3 things CSK must correct in the IPL 2021 playoffs

Tarkesh Jha
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3 things CSK must correct in the IPL 2021 playoffs

Cricket News: 3 things CSK must correct in the IPL 2021 playoffs | Looking at how CSK can regain form in the IPL 2021 playoffs

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) now have two chances of making it to the finale of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

They have earned this right by finishing at the second spot in the standings and will be facing the Delhi Capitals on Sunday for the first qualifier of this edition of the league. 

However, the expectations around the team have comparatively dampened after their lean end to the group stages. CSK was cruising along the group stages, having collected nine victories in 11 games at one stage. Yet, three consecutive defeats have somewhat exposed certain drawbacks in the setup that can come back to haunt them towards the business end of the competition.

Combine that with the lethal form that the Delhi Capitals (DC) seems to be in and the concerns around the Yellow Army seem genuine currently. In this article, we try to address issues that the MS Dhoni-led setup might look to correct during the playoff stages.

Conceal the revealed weaknesses

This is the age of technology and it is especially prevalent in the world of cricket as well. Players are scanned meticulously by the backroom staff of the opposition and teams seem to have cracked a code to put a stop over CSK’s sublime batting unit this year.

The bouncers to Ruturaj Gaikwad, short-deliveries to Moeen Ali, containing Faf with left-armed slower bowlers and spinning a web around MS; teams have arguably employed these tactics to contain the CSK batsmen in recent games.

Now that these drawbacks are somewhat out in the open, it is important that CSK acknowledges them internally and devises a method to work around these issues.

They would have to be cautious yet proactive in their approach; cautious to not fall into the trap laid by the opposition and proactive to ensure that the safety that they practice doesn’t negatively influence the scoring rate. 

The fact that the opposition knows about your weaknesses is not a new thing in cricket. Most teams are well-briefed about their adversaries these days. However, developing a plan to avoid these tactics and steer your way to the desired result is what CSK needs to do. They certainly have the caliber to do so.

Moreover, it has also become quite prevalent by now that Gaikwad and Faf lay the bedrock of this CSK batting unit. Their roles become even more magnified against the express pace bowling of the Delhi Capitals as the two openers are arguably the best players against pace in Dhoni’s team currently.

One of them need to set their foot down and ensure that they bat for a pretty long duration of the innings. CSK have done well when one of the two openers have stayed on the crease until the fag end of the innings. That is solely because they have a deep batting order and that the set batsman can be complemented well by brief quick knocks from the other end.

This particularly mounts a significant lot of pressure on Gaikwad and Faf, but it is a small price to pay for the success that awaits them in the form of the IPL trophy.

Do the little things right

Actually, two of CSK’s three defeats were caused by very fine margins eventually. They were blown away by the Rajasthan Royals’ batting unit once, when MS admitted that even a score of 250 runs would have been insufficient with the way the Royals were batting.

Against Delhi, they did well to make a game out of a lost cause were actually doing well in the fag end until Krishnappa Gowtham dropped a catch off Shimron Hetmyer and handed the victory over to the Capitals.

CSK might remember that they lost the second of their two league stage encounters against Delhi in IPL 2020 because Shikhar Dhawan’s catches were dropped around four-five times by the fielders. To make sure that the fielding doesn’t slip up in such big games is of utmost necessity and CSK needs to be very wary of this fact.

Getting outclassed by the bat or the ball is imminent at some point in cricket. But to get outdone in the field should be unacceptable and no one surely places more importance to it than Dhoni as a skipper. It is of extreme importance that CSK does not repeat the errors like Gowtham did in the playoffs!

Bring Raina in

Suresh Raina has had a lukewarm IPL so far and was even replaced by Robin Uthappa in the final two group stage games. It was said that Raina had a niggle but looked more of an attempt to test Uthappa out who had warmed the bench for the first 12 games of the campaign.

However, it might do CSK good if they rope in Raina for the playoff stages. His best innings this year had come in the opening game against Delhi itself when the southpaw scored 54 runs off 36 deliveries to take the team to a respectable total of 188 runs.

Raina might blow hot or cold but is always in the lookout for runs. He isn’t afraid to take the bowlers on when the tides are against them and CSK needs to infuse some of that approach in their batting unit now. Raina plays a high-stakes game but when it pulls off, it ends up giving a brilliant result to the team.

The 34-year-old had even taken Delhi’s spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra to absolute cleaners in the aforementioned game. Axar Patel and Ashwin conceded only 38 runs in their combined eight overs in Delhi’s recent game vs Chennai. Delhi will be looking to again contain CSK in the middle-overs through their spin duo and Raina’s southpaw approach is much-needed to tackle this challenge.

Moreover, the playoffs are as much a battle of character and experience as it is of the skills. Raina has been one of the pillars of CSK’s successes over the years and has especially stepped up to the challenges in critical moments like the semis and the finals. This is CSK’s time to shine and they need their dear ‘Chinna Thala’ to get back in the mix of things for the same!

Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter

AUS-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Yash Mittal
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0
AUS-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

AUS-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AU-W vs IN-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Australia Women vs India Women 2nd T20 Key Players | Carrara Pitch Report

The first T20I more vindication of the fact that the Indian Women’s team has bossed the tour following their nine-wicket mauling in the first ODI. However, it eventually counted for nothing as the match was eventually abandoned due to rain.

With the scoreline being 7-5 in Australia’s favour, Team India will have to do all the running in the remaining two games of the series if they want to take home the multi-format Trophy.

And they have every reason to believe they can pull off a heist given the manner in which they batted in the first T20I. Led by Jemimah Rodrigues’ whirlwind unbeaten 36-ball 49, the Indian batters took the attack to the Aussie bowling unit and if Rodrigues is to be believed, one can expect more of the same in the upcoming two fixtures.

Can the Aussies find a way or will India take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Australia Women: 

  • Alyssa Healy: The swashbuckling better loves batting against India in the shortest format. In 14 innings against the Women in Blue, she has scored 356 runs at an average of 29.66 and a strike rate of 147.10 with 4 50+ scores.
  • Beth Mooney: The veteran southpaw is the second highest run-getter for Australia against India in T20Is. In 11 innings, Mooney has churned out 392 runs at an average of 43.55 and a healthy strike rate of 119.51 with 3 50+ scores.
  • Meg Lanning: Lanning leads the run-scoring charts for Australia against India in T20Is. In 16 innings, the Aussie skipper has racked up 435 runs at an average of 33.46 and a strike rate of 103.32.
  • Ellyse Perry: Perry bowled just one over in the first game and conceded just 3 runs. In 17 T20Is against India, the all-rounder has scored 182 runs with one 50+ score besides claiming as many as 22 wickets at an average of 14.09 and an economy rate of 5.23.
  • Tayla Vlaeminck: The tearaway pacer may not have taken a wicket in the first T20I but she turned heads with searing pace.
  • Ashleigh Gardner: She claimed a couple of wickets in the last game. Her all-round skills will once again be crucial to Australia’s fortunes.

India Women:

  • Smriti Mandhana: The stylish opener is the 2nd highest run-scorer for India in T20Is against Australia: 412 runs in 12 innings at an average of 34.3 with 4 50+ scores.
  • She scored a 10-ball 17 including 2 fours and a six in the last game.
  • Shafali Verma: The young opener smashed three sixes during her 14-ball 18 in the first T20I.
  • The 17-year-old is the 2nd leading run-getter for India in T20Is since the start of 2019: 683 runs in 26 innings at an average of 26.26 with three 50+ scores.
  • Jemmimah Rodrigues: The comeback girl looked in imperious touch in the first game as she smashed an unbeaten 36-ball 49 with the help of seven boundaries.
  • Deepti Sharma: Sharma loves batting against Australia. In 5 innings, she has scored 103 runs at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 100.98 besides claiming 10 wickets at 18.70.

Stats and Facts

  • Both sides have squared 21 times in T20Is with Australia leading the ledger 14-6.
  • However, both sides have won three games apiece in their last six face-offs.
  • Australia currently lead the multi-format rubber 7-5.

Possible Playing 11

Australia Women: 1. Alyssa Healy (wk), 2. Beth Mooney, 3. Meg Lanning (c), 4. Ellyse Perry, 5. Ashleigh Gardner, 6. Tahlia McGrath, 7. Nicola Carey, 8. Sophie Molineux, 9. Georgia Wareham, 10. Hannah Darlington, 11. Tayla Vlaeminck

India Women: 1. Smriti Mandhana, 2. Shafali Verma, 3. Jemimah Rodrigues, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5. Yastika Bhatia, 6. Richa Ghosh (wk), 7. Deepti Sharma, 8. Pooja Vastrakar, 9. Shikha Pandey, 10. Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11. Renuka Singh

Carrara Oval Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The pitch at Carrara Oval has proved to be a batting paradise for thus far and much of the same should be the case in the  remainder of the T20I series.

As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be sunny. The temperatures are set to hover between 20-27 degrees Celsius. Humidity is set to be around 58 percent.

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.

Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Alyssa Healy
  • Batters: Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues
  • All-rounders: Ashleigh Gardner
  • Bowlers: Tayla Vlaeminck, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

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

Match Prediction

Australia will once again start as slight favorites but a possibility of India taking a 1-0 lead can’t be ruled out.

Written by Yash Mittal. Follow Yash on Twitter today.

Is IPL 2021 giving the Indian T20 World Cup Squad more concerns than answers?

Tarkesh Jha
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Is IPL 2021 giving the Indian T20 World Cup Squad more concerns than answers?

Cricket News: Is IPL 2021 giving the Indian T20 World Cup Squad more concerns than answers? | IPL 2021: Some India players in the squad are out of form

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has naturally become the breeding ground for youngsters to find their way into the Indian team in the shortest format of international cricket.

It is justified too, considering that the league tests a newbie’s capabilities in T20 against the best playersin the world in extremely high-stake situations, which isn’t the case really with domestic T20s.

So naturally, once a player has been picked in the international team, a close eye would be kept on their outings in the IPL to make an estimation of their prospective performances for the Blues.

IPL a big focus in Indian T20 World Cup Squad

On those grounds, the second leg of the IPL is being widely looked as a preparation stage for the players who have made the cut for India’s World T20 squad later on.

India’s selection of the squad was quite peculiar, with the team arguably taking a bold approach by hunching on youngsters and spinners who have performed quite well in the last couple of years.

It also marked a comeback for Ravichandran Ashwin, who hasn’t seen much limited overs action since the fateful loss to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in 2017.

However, fans crave for change more than anything else, and hence the performance of the entire Indian squad has been under immense scanner since the beginning of this leg of IPL 2021.

For starters, concerns have been raised over the form of the Mumbai Indians’ duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan this season. To be fair, both of them were incredible last year and justified their selection in the series against England earlier this year. Back then, they had performed incredibly for players so new to the international stage and made a formidable statement that they were there to stay.

However, Ishan lost his place in the XI for a period and Suryakumar endured a poor season. It needs to be noted that Mumbai as a collective did not play at their optimum level yet either.

Cricket News: Is IPL 2021 giving the Indian T20 World Cup Squad more concerns than answers? | IPL 2021: Some India players in the squad are out of form
Is IPL 2021 giving the Indian T20 World Cup Squad more concerns than answers? Suryakumar has not hit his best form

However, selections of youngsters are often met with both excitement and criticism. Such is the nature of the followers of Indian cricket over the years, largely driven by the cutting-edge competition for places that exists in the system owing to an abundance of top-class talent.

Moreover, the two of them edged out Shreyas Iyer to warrant a place in the squad. Iyer has delivered formidable performances for the Indian team in the last couple of years in multiple international assignments. He looked to have sealed the number four spot for the World T20, until the squad was announced.

Moreover, Iyer didn’t do anything wrong warranting his exclusion either. Just that his competitors in Ishan and Suryakumar looked comparatively better equipped to perform well in T20s. Naturally, there are high expectations off them and both have looked slightly off-colour in the IPL this year.

Similarly, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a consistently brilliant bowler for the Indian team. He played excellently against England back in February too and looked to be in fine touch. Even he has blown hot and cold for Sunrisers Hyderabad though, whereas the likes of Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel and others have made heads turn recently.

On the other hand, Yuzvendra Chahal seems to be scaling a nice comeback in recent games.

Chahal went through a rough patch for India in recent times, but the past some matches have raised hopes over his excellence and whether the team should have trusted him more as compared to the likes of Axar Patel and Rahul Chahar.

There are calls for replacements to be made straightaway, on the backing of recent form.

However, it can be argued that these statements are rather impulsive and short-sighted. The players who have been picked in the XI, barring Varun Chakravarthy, have all performed exceedingly well for the national team in the limited opportunities that they have received recently.

Moreover, they made it to this level following some seriously consistent performances in the chances that they received even in the IPL. It is also important to take into context that the likes of Suryakumar, Ishan, Hardik, Rahul Chahar…all of them were excellent in IPL 2020.

And the World T20 is slated to be played in the same venues. Though the calls for their selection were upped following their IPL performances, they made it to the T20 World Cup after fantastic performances in the Indian jersey.

To call for Hardik Pandya, a pillar for the Indian team in white-ball cricket, to be replaced by someone as new to the stage as Venkatesh Iyer is simply naïve. Yes, Indian cricket hasn’t made certain surprising decisions in the past. But a competition as big as the T20 World Cup needs to be looked at with much greater perspective than what is being done currently.

Overhauling the core of the squad just days prior to the commencement of a World Cup is simply unwarranted. These decisions have to be made prior to the squad announcement. There is no use of course correcting once a bullet has been fired.

All the players included in the squad are mighty fine in their own rights. They have performed well for both their IPL teams and the Indian side in the last year or so. One should not let the recency bias cloud the larger picture, especially so close to a tournament so important for the team due to multiple critical many factors.

Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter

IPL 2021 Match 55: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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IPL 2021 Match 55: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Match 55: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs SRH Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

Things could have not gone any worse for Mumbai Indians in last night’s KKR-RR matchup. Needing a small margin of victory by the Knight Riders or a Royals win, KKR have all-but-confirmed their passage into the IPL 2021 playoffs, as MI need to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad today by at least 171 runs to make fourth spot.

What this confirms is MI’s very disappointing season. The back-to-back champions, who are filled with talent, have not got going this season. Also, they have a number of players looking to find top form ahead of the T20 World Cup, but it has been an inconsistent showing allround. So, they will look to finish their disappointing season with another win here after a dominant performance against the Royals a few nights ago.

But it won’t be easy. Sunrisers Hyderabad have proven to be a tough beat in recent matches, with Royal Challengers Bangalore the latest team to find out. Kane Williamson’s team has not stopped putting in the hard yards, and they too will be aiming to finish off a disappointing season with the win. Their best best is stifling MI with the ball, and given the slow conditions in the UAE this year, that is a definite possibility.

At the start of the season, had someone said that Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad will reach the final, not many could have argued. Instead, both sides are playing for pride here and will soon begin their end-of-season reviews.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

  • Kane Williamson is coming off a player of the match performance vs RCB (31 and two catches). The SRH skipper has historically struggled vs MI (5 inns, 43 runs, avg. 8.60, SR 102.38). Can he turn those numbers around today?
  • Williamson enjoys batting at Abu Dhabi. He has struck two half-centuries in five innings on this ground, with a total of 218 runs at an average of 54.50 and strike rate of 133.74.
  • Jason Roy worked hard for his 38-ball 44 vs RCB on this ground two nights ago. He has scored 27 runs off 15 deliveries vs Jasprit Bumrah in T20s for no dismissal as well as 27 off 19 against Boult (one dismissal).
  • Jason Holder has arguably been SRH’s MVP in IPL 2021. The all-rounder was superb at the death vs RCB, and has taken nine wickets in six matches in the UAE leg.
  • Rashid Khan has taken one wicket in each match he has played in the UAE leg. He has a similar ratio vs MI (eight wickets in nine matches at an average of 23.63 and economy rate of 5.25). Also, he strikes every 20 deliveries at Abu Dhabi.
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the most wickets in MI-SRH matches (16, avg. 17.38). The seamer has taken just three wickets in the UAE leg, but did look in better rhythm vs RCB on this ground (1/25).
  • Umran Malik (1/21 vs RCB) is certainly an exciting prospect. He cranks up the pace, and will be key during the middle overs – a stage where MI have struggled in this season.

Mumbai Indians:

  • No Mumbai Indians player has more runs against SRH than Kieron Pollard. The West Indian has ammassed 418 runs in 15 matches against them at an average of 46.44 and strike rate of 148.23, including 35 (22) earlier this season.
  • Also, Pollard has a solid record at Abu Dhabi. In nine innings on this ground, Pollard has struck 147 runs at an average of 47.00 with a strike rate of 156.67.
  • Can Ishan Kishan follow up his confidence-boosting 50* (25) with another? He was back to his best against a shell-shocked RR lineup, but the key will be building on that knock here.
  • Kishan has just the 102 runs in six innings for MI vs SRH at an average of 17.00. He also averages just the 22 in six innings at Abu Dhabi.
  • SRH is not one of Rohit Sharma’s favourite opponents. In 17 matches, the MI skipper has struck just 259 runs at an average of 18.50 and strike rate of 123.33. However, Rohit enjoys batting at Abu Dhabi, with 305 runs in nine innings at an average of 33.89 and strike rate of 127.
  • It is Krunal who has the much better batting record vs SRH out of the Pandya brothers. In 10 innings, Krunal has struck 180 runs vs SRH at an average of 30 and strike rate of 156. Hardik averages just the 12 (SR 98) in nine innings vs SRH.
  • Nathan Coulter-Nile has been brilliant since his return to the team. He has taken 1/21 and 4/14 in his last two matches, with his performance vs RR earning him player of the match.
  • Jasprit Bumrah has been excellent in a tough season for MI. He has 13 wickets in 11 matches vs SRH (avg. 21.85), including a brilliant spell of 1/14 earlier in the season. Trent Boult took 3/28 in that same match.
  • There is a chance Mumbai will bring back Rahul Chahar for this match. The leg-spinner took 3/19 vs SRH earlier this season.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 17, MI 9, SRH 8.
  • Mumbai (150/5) beat Hyderabad (137) by 13 runs earlier this season. Kieron Pollard was player of the match.
  • Trent Boult has not taken a wicket in the powerplay in the last five matches.
  • Rashid Khan to Hardik Pandya: 33 balls, 18 runs conceded, two wickets.
  • Suryakumar Yadav has scored 418 runs in 13 matches at Abu Dhabi at an average of 41.80 and strike rate of 160.15.
  • Mumbai Indians will need to win this match by at least 171 runs to qualify for the playoffs. If SRH bat first, then it is officially tournament over for MI as they will need to win with more than 120 balls to spare.

Possible Playing 11

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Abhishek Sharma, 3. Kane Williamson (c), 4. Priyam Garg, 5. Abdul Samad, 6. Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7. Jason Holder, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Siddarth Kaul, 11. Umran Malik

Mumbai Indians: 1. Rohit Sharma (c), 2. Ishan Kishan (wk), 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Saurabh Tiwary/Krunal Pandya, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. James Neesham, 8. Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9. Rahul Chahar/Jayant Yadav, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Trent Boult

Abu Dhabi Pitch Report and Weather

Abu Dhabi is generally a chasing ground, with the team batting second winning five out of seven matches in IPL 2021. The average first innings score on this ground this season is 148.14, and any score in that region today can be a competitive one.

The forecast is for more warm and clear weather.

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 Match 55: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs SRH Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 55: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Match 55: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs SRH Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 55: SRH vs MI Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Ishan Kishan
  • Batsmen: Suryakumar Yadav, Kane Williamson
  • All-rounders: Jason Holder, Kieron Pollard
  • Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jasprit Bumrah

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

Match Prediction

Mumbai Indians, courtesy of their middle order, start as favourites to win. MI to win.

IPL 2021 Match 56: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Yash Mittal
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0
IPL 2021 Match 56: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Match 56: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report

They may have qualified for the playoffs but if the last game against the SunRisers Hyderabad is anything to go by, the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore are far from a finished product, especially in the batting department.

A poor innings by Devdutt Padikkal (41 off 52 balls), lack of runs from Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, an unfortunate runout of a red-hot Glenn Maxwell and the failed ploy of promoting Dan Christian at No.3, ensured that RCB succumbed to a 4-run defeat in their penultimate game to squander an opportunity to finish in the top-2.

Despite CSK losing their final fixture against Punjab, poor net run-rate of RCB means that Kohli’s side will most likely finish at 3 even if they win their last game against Delhi.

The Capitals, on the other hand, have confirmed their top-2 spot and they will look to iron out the chinks in their batting unit in the final league-stage game ahead of the all-important playoffs.

The last time these two sided squared off this season, RCB pulled off a 1-run win in what proved to be a high-scoring cliffhanger.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

  • Devdutt Padikkal: He may have endured an extremely poor outing in the last game – 41 off 52 balls – but he is too good a batter to not stage a comeback. His record vs DC: 71 runs in 3 innings at 23.7 and a strike rate of 116.4 with 1 50+ score.
  • Virat Kohli: The skipper missed out in the last game after having started off with a sumptuous cover drive. His record vs DC: 933 runs in 24 innings at an average of 58.31 and a strike rate of 137.61 with 2 50+ scores.
  • Glenn Maxwell: The swashbuckler missed out on scoring his fourth consecutive 50+ score in the last game thanks to an unfortunate run out. He scored a whirlwind 25-ball 40.
  • Maxwell has thus far racked up 447 in 12 innings at an average of 40.64 and a strike rate of 146.56 with 5 50+ scores.
  • AB de Villiers: He may not be at his best in the UAE leg this far but write off ABD at your own peril. He smashed an unbeaten 42-ball 75 in his last outing against DC. De Villiers record against Delhi: 549 runs in 14 innings at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 165.86.
  • Harshal Patel: The right-arm seamer is taking wickets for fun this season. He claimed another three-wicket haul in the last game to become the most successful Indian bowler across all IPL seasons.
  • Patel claimed 2/37 in his last outing against Delhi earlier this season.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal: The veteran leg-spinner has claimed 11 wickets in six outings in the UAE leg. His record vs DC: 14 wickets in 14 games at an average of 27.29.

Delhi Capitals:

  • Shikhar Dhawan: The veteran southpaw scored a 35-ball 39 in the last game but failed to stay till the end. His record for DC vs RCB: 208 runs in 7 innings at 34.67 and a strike rate of 130.
  • Shreyas Iyer: The former skipper has looked the best of the lot on sluggish UAE pitches. In five games, he has scored 126 runs at an average of 42.
  • His record vs RCB: 273 runs in 10 innings at an average of 27.3 and a strike rate of 119.7.
  • Rishabh Pant: The skipper has looked fidgety at the crease during the second leg and he would be looking to make an impact in the forthcoming game.
  • Pant had a nightmarish outing against RCB earlier this year as he failed to close out the game despite staying  (58* off 48) unbeaten till the end. His record vs RCB: 377 runs in 10 innings at an average of 47.1 and a strike rate of 147.8 with 4 50+ scores.
  • Shimron Hetmyer: The West Indian has chipped in with brisk cameos in the end. He scored an unbeaten 28 off 18 in the last game to seal the deal for DC. His record vs RCB: 64 runs in two innings at a strike rate of 200.
  • Axar Patel: The left-arm orthodox has been sensational on slow tracks in Dubai and Sharjah. He claimed the ‘Player Of the Match’ award for registering figures of 2/18 in 4 overs.
  • His record in Dubai: 10 wickets in 11 innings at 23.8.
  • Avesh Khan: The uncapped pacer has been quite a revelation this season. In 13 games, he has claimed 22 wickets at an average of 15.91.

Stats and Facts

  • Both sides have locked horns 27 times with RCB leading the ledger 16-10.
  • DC won their previous encounter against RCB in Dubai.
  • RCB won the cliffhanger against DC in their previous meeting earlier this year.
  • RCB and DC have won each of their past two fixtures in Dubai.
  • Virat Kohli (933) has scored the most runs in DC-RCB encounters while Yuzvendra Chahal has claimed most number of wickets (14).

Possible Playing 11

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 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 Carton/Kyle Jamieson, 9. Harshal Patel, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

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

Dubai pitch report and weather conditions

The pitch at the Dubai International Stadium has been slow and sluggish and much of the same is expected on Friday.

As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be another scorcher of a day in Dubai. The temperatures are set to hover between 29-38 degrees Celsius. Humidity is set to be around 48 percent.

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 Match 56: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 56: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Match 56: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BLR vs DC Dream11 Prediction Today | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 56: RCB vs DC Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Rishabh Pant
  • Batsmen: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer
  • All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Axar Patel
  • Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada

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

Match Prediction

Delhi Capitals will start as favourites.

Written by Yash Mittal. Follow Yash on Twitter today.

IPL 2021 Match 54: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
IPL 2021 Match 54: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Match 54: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KOL vs RR Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report

Another year, another “nearly there” conversation for the Rajasthan Royals. Ahead of their match with the struggling Mumbai Indians, the Royals knew that two wins from their final two matches would guarantee a playoffs berth. One of those matches is against Kolkata Knight Riders today, which had the potential to be a straight shootout for fourth spot.

However, it was a disastrous night for the Royals, losing with 70 balls to spare. Their defeat was so heavy that all hope of a playoffs appearance is gone, and will now have to find the motivation to end a promising but unfulfilled season on a high.

Also, the Royals’ huge defeat has ramifications for KKR. All of a sudden, a win today might still not be enough to quality on net run rate, given MI have made significant ground in that area. However, one feels that the ball is still in KKR’s court, as a solid performance here will go a long way to achieving a fine turnaround after a poor first leg of the tournament.

At Sharjah, KKR managed to beat the table-leading Delhi Capitals earlier this season. And, they are likely to welcome back Andre Russell and Lockie Ferguson. The Royals were all at sea on the slow track two nights ago, so how they adjust will make for interesting viewing.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Kolkata Knight Riders:

  • Can Shubman Gill build on his half-century in the last match? He struggled in the early part of his 51-ball 57, but accelerated well enough to get KKR close to the 115 target by SRH and help seal victory.
  • Gill has scored 142 runs in six innings vs RR at an average of 28.40 and strike rate of 120.34. However, the most important stat to note is Gill’s love of chasing compared to setting totals. He averages 39.1 batting second compared 24.9 batting first in his IPL career.
  • Venkatesh Iyer had a quiet match vs SRH, but he has been a key reason why KKR have improved in the UAE leg. He has made scores of 53, 18, 14, 67 and 8 in phase two, along with three wickets.
  • Rahul Tripathi has produced some of his best form in recent years, and will be looking to get back in the runs after falling to Rashid Khan for 7 vs SRH. He has scored 74*, 45, 9, 34 and 7 in the UAE leg.
  • Andre Russell is back in training and could feature in this match. He strikes at 171.72 in eight innings vs RR (170 runs, avg. 28.33). He also has six wickets in five innings (avg. 21) – it will be interesting to see if he bowls today after injury.
  • Dinesh Karthik has a superb record for KKR vs RR: 7 inns, 258 runs, avg. 64.50, SR 151.76.
  • Sunil Narine was player of the match in KKR’s earlier match at Sharjah this season vs DC (2/18 and 21 off 10 balls). He will be aiming to improve on his record vs the Royals which reads: 14 inns, 10 wickets, avg. 41.50. However, given the nature of the Sharjah pitch, expect Narine to be difficult to get away.
  • Lockie Ferguson is also a good chance of returning. The speedster has been in the wickets in the UAE leg, taking figures of 2/24, 2/27, 1/33 and 2/10.
  • Varun Chakravarthy took 2/32 vs RR earlier this season, part of six wickets in three matches for KKR vs RR at an average of 12. Interestingly, Chakravathy has just the two wickets in four games at Sharjah, but like Narine, expect Chakravarthy to be difficult to get away in such conditions.

Rajasthan Royals:

  • Evin Lewis has smashed 151 runs in five games at a strike rate of 162.36 in the UAE leg. The left-hander will be key in getting RR off to a good start on a slow pitch before the ball gets much softer.
  • Can Yashasvi Jaiswal make a big impact? He has scored 49 (36), 5 (4), 36 (23), 31 (22), 50 (21) and 12 (9) in the UAE leg, but strokeplay is much more difficult on the Sharjah pitch.
  • The same applies to Sanju Samson, who is typically a free-flowing player. He averages 43.80 with a strike rate of 178.05 in five matches at Sharjah, but conditions at this ground are vastly different to last season.
  • Against KKR, Samson has scored 247 runs in 11 innings at an average of just 24.70 and strike rate of 112.27.
  • Rahul Tewatia has four wickets in four matches for RR vs KKR at an average of 18.25. Also, he takes a wicket every 13.25 deliveries at Sharjah, so he could be a key man for the Royals today.
  • Mustafizur Rahman has taken six wickets in his last five matches. Eyes will be on his cutters once again, which will be a challenge to get away on the Sharjah surface.
  • Chetan Sekariya was RR’s other wicket-taker against MI the other night. However, the left-armer will be aiming to bounce back after going the distance against Ishan Kishan.

Stats and Facts

  • Matches 24, KKR 12, RR 11, N/R 1.
  • RR (134/4) beat KKR (133/9) with ease earlier in the season. Chris Morris was player of the match with 4/24.
  • We could see Sunil Narine bowl in the powerplay. He has dismissed Evin Lewis six times in 14 T20s, and Lewis strikes at just 84 against him.
  • Eoin Morgan is averaging just 11.1 this season, which is the worst average for any batsman with at least 100 runs in IPL 2021. He does, however, have past success vs Royals: 4 inns, 153 runs, avg. 76.50, SR 159.38.
  • Nitish Rana is five runs away from 3,000 in T20s.

Possible Playing 11

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

Rajasthan Royals: 1. Evin Lewis, 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3. Sanju Samson (c & wk), 4. Shivam Dube, 5. Glenn Phillips, 6. David Miller/Chris Morris, 7. Rahul Tewatia, 8. Shreyas Gopal/Mayank Markande, 9. Kuldip Yadav, 10. Mustafizur Rahman, 11. Chetan Sakariya

Sharjah Pitch Report and Weather

Slow and sluggish is the theme this season. The average first innings score is 132.14, with the team batting second winning five of the seven matches. The Royals struggled badly on this surface the other night, scoring just 90/9.

More clear and warm weather is on the cards.

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 Match 54: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KOL vs RR Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 54: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Match 54: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KOL vs RR Dream11 Prediction Today | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Key Players | Sharjah Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 54: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Dinesh Karthik
  • Batsmen: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill
  • All-rounders: Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell
  • Bowlers: Lockie Ferguson, Mustafizur Rahman

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

Match Prediction

IPL 2021 has thrown up some unpredictable results, so don’t be surprised if the Royals win especially if they chase. However, KKR start as favourites with plenty to play off, and should win.

3 reasons behind KKR’s improvement in IPL 2021

Debashish Sarangi
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3 reasons behind KKR’s improvement in IPL 2021

Cricket News: 3 reasons behind KKR’s improvement in IPL 2021 | Looking at why KKR have improved in the UAE leg of IPL 2021

The league phase of the IPL 2021 is about to end and we are all set to watch some cracking contests in the qualifiers. CSK, RCB and DC have sealed three spots for the qualifiers; there are two teams realistically competing in the race for the all-important fourth spot.

KKR, who lost five games in the first phase in India, have managed to keep their hopes alive by winning four of their six games in the second phase.

KKR have elected to chase five out of the six times they have won the toss in the IPL 2021. This indicates that they prefer to chase the target more than defending a total. Further, they have successfully chased five out of eight times, whereas they have lost four out of five games while defending. So, their success rate increases significantly when they have a target set in front of them.

But was this the case in the first leg? The answer is no. KKR lost three out of four games in which they chased. On the contrary, they have won all four games while chasing in the UAE.

Let’s discuss how they have managed to develop themselves into a great chasing unit.

1. KKR’s improvement bowling in the middle overs

If your primary aim is to chase a target, your bowling unit needs to restrict the opposition to a manageable total. But the KKR bowlers conceded more than 200 runs twice in the three games they lost while chasing in the first leg of IPL 2021. Their bowling was abysmal particularly in the middle overs phase, in which they neither picked wickets nor controlled the flow of runs.

But in the second leg, they have been absolutely magnificent in that phase in all the four games they have won while chasing. The respective numbers are compared in the table below.

 Runs concededWickets takenAverageStrike rateEconomyBPBDOT Percentage
First leg251462.7540.59.295.5825.92
Second leg1731412.3515.424.8021.643.05

The data shows some exemplary development in their bowling in the middle overs. These efforts have proved to be instrumental in restricting the opposition to a low total, which is well evident from the fact that only one team (MI) has crossed the 130-run mark against KKR while batting first.

2. Return of ‘the’ Sunil Narine

Varun Chakravarthy has been performing well for KKR for a couple of years now. But the return of Sunil Narine into his original self has boosted their bowling by a huge margin.

Narine has achieved an economy less than 6.5 for the very first time after 2014 in his long IPL career. He has picked 10 wickets so far at an average of 25.70 and a strike rate of 24. More importantly, he has been way more impressive in the second leg as compared to the first one, which can be inferred from the following data.

 WicketsAvgSREconomy
First leg337.33327
Second leg720.7120.576.04

This kind of performance from the legendary spinner has played a very crucial role in KKR’s renaissance.

3. The arrival of Venkatesh Iyer

The young allrounder from Madhya Pradesh has been sensational for KKR in the second leg of IPL 2021. He has given blistering starts to his side when opening the batting and has been useful with the ball as well. His knocks of 41 against RCB and 53 against MI buried every single hope of these teams and won KKR the game in quick time. Also, his fighting innings of 67 enabled KKR to post a defendable total of 165 against PBKS.

Talking about his bowling, Iyer picked the crucial wickets of Shimron Hetmyer and Axar Patel against DC, which restricted them to 127 and the target was chased successfully by KKR. In the absence of Andre Russell, Iyer has played the role of an all rounder with distinction.

Apart from these factors, Rahul Tripathi is having his best season with the bat and has nailed his role as a number-3 batsman for KKR. In the five innings he has batted in the second leg, Tripathi has scored 169 runs at a healthy average of 42.25 and a splendid strike rate of 150.89. There have been some useful contributions from Nitish Rana as well.

Thus, KKR have developed themselves into a really solid chasing unit and they will be certainly aiming to emerge as the victorious side in their final encounter against Rajasthan Royals on this Thursday. Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today

IPL 2021 Match 53: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Yash Mittal
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IPL 2021 Match 53: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IPL 2021 Match 53: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report

After having suffered consecutive defeats in their last two matches, the MS Dhoni-led unit will be looking to shrug off the blip and seal a top-two spot when they lock horns with the Punjab Kings in Dubai on Friday afternoon.

The last once again exposed CSK’s overwhelming dependence on their opening duo of Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The duo got dismissed cheaply in the last game and with Moeen Ali and MS Dhoni not in the best of form, it was left to Ambati Rayudu to salvage the innings.

Rayudu accelerated brilliantly in the end to help CSK post 136 in 20 overs which nearly proved to be enough in the end thanks to some poor batting by Delhi.

However, the dropped catch by Krishnappa Gowtham of Shimron Hetmyer and some poor death bowling by Dwayne Bravo meant that it was too close yet too far for the MS Dhoni-led unit.

As for Punjab Kings, their chances of qualifying for playoffs are as good as over thanks to yet another meltdown by their middle-order in the last game against RCB. The Rahul-led unit will look to cap off the campaign on a high on Thursday.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Chennai Super Kings:

  • Faf du Plessis: The former South African skipper will be looking to shrug off the blip from the last game and register another substantial score. 
  • Du Plessis loves batting against Punjab. In 11 innings, he has scored 538 runs at an average of 53.8 and a strike rate of 146.19 with 6 50+ scores.
  • Ruturaj Gaikwad: The young opener has been in sensational form this year, especially in the UAE leg. He has already racked up unbeaten scores of 88* and 101*
  • Gaikwad had racked up 67 runs in his two outings against Punjab.
  • Ambati Rayudu: The middle-order batsman smashed an unbeaten 43-ball 55 in the last game against DC. His record vs Punjab: 378 runs in 19 innings at 19.89.
  • Ravindra Jadeja: The southpaw has been the MVP for CSK this season, especially with bat at the death. In 10 innings, he has scored 212 runs at a strike rate of 152.52 besides claiming 10 wickets at 27.27.
  • His record vs Punjab: 274 runs in 15 innings at 24.9 and 13 wickets in 18 innings.
  • Deepak Chahar: The swing bowler registered figures of 4/19 in his last outing against Punjab.
  • His record vs Punjab: 6 wickets in 8 matches.
  • Shardul Thakur: The ‘Lord’ was once again at his absolute best in the last game as he claimed a couple of crucial wickets besides giving just 13 runs in four overs. He will once again be crucial during the middle overs.

Punjab Kings

  • KL Rahul: The stylish opener has once again been a consistent scorer for his team this season. In 12 games, he has scored 528 runs at an average of 52.8 and a strike rate of 129.1.
  • His record vs CSK: 297 runs in 9 innings at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 125.3.
  • Mayank Agarwal: Rahul may have got more runs but Mayank has been the most impactful batsman for Punjab this session.  The right-hander smashed a 42-ball 57 in the last game but fell at the wrong time. His record vs CSK: 226 runs in 13 innings at 17.4. Can he improve on this?
  • Ravi Bishnoi: The young leg-spinner has been absolutely sensational in whatever opportunities he has got this season. 
  • He did not claim a wicket in the last game but it is fair to say that he had got RCB batters on strings and if Rahul had held onto his opportunities, he would have claimed at least a wicket or two.
  • Arshdeep Singh: The young left-arm seamer had a tough outing in the last game against RCB but he has been sensational for large parts of the season. In 11 games, he has claimed 16 wickets with three of them coming in the fixture against KKR a few days ago.
  • Also, Arshdeep loves bowling at Dubai, with 15 wickets in six matches at an average of 12.33 and strike rate of 8.73.

Stats and Facts

  • Both sides have locked horns 25 times with CSK leading the ledger 16-9.
  • CSK have won each of their last three fixtures against Punjab including the one in Dubai last year.
  • Suresh Raina has the most runs (719) in CSK-PBKS fixtures while DJ Bravo has the most wickets (15) among the current crop of players in both sides.

Possible Playing 11

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

Punjab Kings: 1. KL Rahul (c & wk), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Nicholas Pooran, 4. Aiden Markram, 5. Sarfaraz Khan, 6. Shah Rukh Khan, 7. Moises Henriques, 8. Harpreet Brar, 9. Mohammed Shami, 10. Ravi Bishnoi, 11. Arshdeep Singh

Sharjah pitch report and weather conditions

The pitch at the Dubai International Stadium has been slow and sluggish and much of the same is expected on Thursday.

As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be dry and sunny. The temperatures are set to hover between 28-37 degrees Celsius. Humidity is set to be around 46  percent.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

IPL 2021 Match 53: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 53: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IPL 2021 Match 53: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report
IPL 2021 Match 53: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: KL Rahul
  • Batsmen: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mayank Agarwal
  • All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo
  • Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

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

Match Prediction

Chennai Super Kings will start as overwhelming favourites.

Written by Yash Mittal. Follow Yash on Twitter today.

AUS-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Yash Mittal
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0
AUS-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

AUS-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AU-W vs IN-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Australia Women vs India Women 1st T20 Key Players | Carrara Pitch Report

After a highly competitive ODI series and a historic pink ball Test, the focus of the multi-format India Women v Australia Women series moves to its T20 leg with the first of the three games set to be played at the Carrara Oval on Thursday.

Barring the first ODI, it is fair to say that India Women have dominated the proceedings in the last two ODIs and the one-off Test. Indeed, if not for sloppy fielding in the second game, they would have been leading the points table.

Nevertheless, Australia women still hold the lead by 6-4 and the visitors face an unlikely task of winning all three T20Is to win the rubber.

The rivalry between these two sides in the shortest format has been pretty intriguing in the past few years. The last six games has seen both sides win three apiece and it is fair to say that the upcoming series will be a mouthwatering one.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Australia Women: 

  • Alyssa Healy: She may not have had the best of times in the ODI series and the one-off Test but Healy will once again be a huge threat for Team India.
  • The opener loves batting against India in the shortest format. In 14 innings against the Women in Blue, she has scored 356 runs at an average of 29.66 and a strike rate of 147.10 with 4 50+ scores.
  • Meg Lanning: The Australian skipper is the leading run-scorer for her team against India in T20Is. In 16 innings, she has scored 435 runs at an average of 33.46 and a strike rate of 103.32.
  • Beth Mooney: She has already scored a match-winning ton against India in the ODIs. Mooney is the second highest run-getter for Australia against India in T20Is. In 11 innings, she has scored 392 runs at an average of 43.55 and a strike rate of 119.51 with 3 50+ scores.
  • Ellyse Perry: After a disappointing ODI series, Perry showed signs of regaining her form in the one-off Test.
  • In 17 T20Is against India, the champion all-rounder has scored 182 runs with one 50+ score besides claiming as many as 22 wickets at an average of 14.09 and an economy rate of 5.23.
  • Darcie Brown: The young seamer gave a good account of herself in the ODI series. She claimed five wickets in two matches. 

India Women:

  • Smriti Mandhana: The champion opener has already put up a number of stellar contributions in the ongoing tour. After having scored a 94-ball 86 in the second ODI, the stylish opener sizzled with her maiden ton in the pink ball Test.
  • Mandhana is the 2nd highest run-scorer for India in T20Is against Australia- 395 runs in 11 innings at an average of 39.50 and a strike rate of 135.27 with 4 50+ scores.
  • Shafali Verma: The swashbuckling opener has shown remarkable maturity in the ODI series and the one-off Test and the 17-year-old will now be looking to tee off in the shortest format.
  • Shafali is the 2nd highest run-getter for India in the format since the start of 2019 – 665 runs in 25 innings at an average of 27.70 and a blistering strike rate of 145.19 with three 50+ scores.
  • Jemmimah Rodrigues: The young Mumbai batter will be looking to make an impact in what would be her maiden outing of the tour. She was in good form in the ‘Hundred’ and would be looking to continue with the same form against the Aussies.
  • Rodrigues is the third highest run-scorer for Team India in the format since the start of 2019 – 515 runs in 25 innings at 22.39.
  • Harmanpreet Kaur: The middle-order batter will make a comeback after having missed the ODI and Test leg due to injury. She will be looking to make an impact after having gone through an extended lean patch in the past couple of years.
  • Her record vs Australia: 68 runs in 5 innings at an average of 17.
  • Deepti Sharma: The all-rounder has chipped in with both bat and ball in the tour thus far. Sharma loves batting against Australia. In 5 innings, she has scored 103 runs at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 100.98 besides claiming 10 wickets at 18.70.
  • Poonam Yadav: The young leg-spinner has been sensational for India in the shortest format in the past couple of years. In the last 2 years, she has claimed 29 wickets in 23 innings at an average of 17.96 and an economy rate of 5.98.
  • Her record vs Australia: 12 wickets in 7 T20Is at 14.66.

Stats and Facts

  • Both sides have locked horns 20 times in T20Is with Australia leading the ledger 14-6.
  • However, both sides have won 3 games apiece in their last 6 encounters.
  • Australia currently lead the multi-format rubber 6-4.

Possible Playing 11

Australia Women: 1. Alyssa Healy (wk), 2. Beth Mooney, 3. Meg Lanning (c), 4. Ellyse Perry, 5. Ashleigh Gardner, 6. Tahlia McGrath, 7. Sophie Molineux, 8. Georgia Wareham, 9. Annabel Sutherland, 10. Darcie Brown, 11. Tayla Vlaeminck

India Women: 1. Smriti Mandhana, 2. Shafali Verma, 3. Jemimah Rodrigues, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5. Deepti Sharma, 6. Richa Ghosh (WK), 7. Sneh Rana, 8. Pooja Vastrakar, 9. Shikha Pandey/Meghna Singh, 10. Poonam Yadav, 11. Rajeshwari Gayakwad/Radha Yadav

Carrara Oval Pitch report and weather conditions

The pitch at Carrara Oval has proved to be a belter for batters thus far and much of the same should be the case in the T20I series.

In the only T20I played at the venue, the first innings score was 216.

As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be cloudy. The temperatures are set to hover between 16-26 degrees Celsius. Humidity is set to be around 55 percent.

Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

  • Wicket-keepers: Alyssa Healy
  • Batters: Beth Mooney, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma
  • All-rounders: Ellyse Perry
  • Bowlers: Tayla Vlaeminck, Poonam Yadav

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

Match Prediction

Australia will once again start as favorites but given the way India have played on this tour, don’t rule out the possibility of them claiming a 1-0 lead on Thursday.

Written by Yash Mittal. Follow Yash on Twitter today.

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