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IRE vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IRE vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IRE vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Ireland vs South Africa 1st ODI Key Players | Malahide Pitch Report

ODI cricket returns to Ireland in what is a crucial series for the home side. The Irish, who languish in 10th spot with seven defeats in nine matches – including a 2-1 series defeat to The Netherlands – need points desperately if they want to qualify directly to the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The test awaiting them here certainly promises to be a tough one. South Africa are riding a wave of a successful tour of the Caribbean, where they held their own superbly in the T20I series. The Proteas still aren’t the completed package in ODI cricket, but the potency of their pace attack, form of Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram, and a middle order looking for more consistency should hold them in good stead.

And, of course, Temba Bavuma’s side will be after critical Super League points. South Africa currently sit bottom of the table, but have played the least number of games along with Zimbabwe, so this series presents a very viable opportunity to make strides up the table.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Ireland:

  • Paul Stirling will be crucial at the top for the home side. The right-hander is the leading run-scorer in ODIs in 2021 (546 runs, avg. 78.00), with three centuries and two half-centuries in eight ODIs. He will be aiming to improve his record vs South Africa which reads: 3 ODIs, 59 runs, avg. 19.66.
  • Skipper Andy Balbirnie will also be key. He has been struggling in ODIs this year (8 ODIs, 161 runs, avg. 23.00), so a turnaround is essential for his team.
  • Ireland are set to welcome back classy all-rounder Curtis Campher. The South African-born Campher has scored three half-centuries in eight ODIs, as well as eight wickets.
  • Josh Little was a huge positive for Ireland in the series against The Netherlands. He took eight wickets in the three matches (3/32, 4/39, 1/35). His pace will be key in making the South African batsmen uncomfortable.
  • Craig Young took three wickets in his only ODI vs South Africa, back in 2016. However, he went for a huge 81 runs.
  • Barry McCarthy has the most wickets of any bowler in ODIs at Malahide (7 matches, 13 wickets, avg. 30.15).

South Africa:

  • How good has Quinton de Kock been since he was relieved of the captaincy? He was superb in the West Indies, scoring 255 runs in the five T20Is at an average of 51.00. Also, he has made a score of 82 in his two ODIs vs Ireland.
  • Aiden Markram has also been brilliant in 2021. He has scored 292 runs in seven T20Is at an average of 41.71 and strike rate of 158.69, and will be looking to transfer this form to ODIs.
  • Temba Bavuma scored a century on his ODI debut against Ireland back in 2016 (113).
  • Rassie van der Dussen averages an extraordinary 80.90 in 23 ODIs. David Miller’s 60 runs against Ireland have come at a strike rate of 153.84.
  • Kagiso Rabada will be looking to improve on his record of 19 wickets in 15 ODIs at an average of 35.00 in Europe. In his only ODI vs Ireland, back in 2016, Rabada took figures of 1/22.
  • Anrich Nortje has taken seven wickets in two ODIs in 2021, and Tabraiz Shamsi is coming off a player-of-the-series performance in the T20Is vs West Indies.

Stats and Facts

  • South Africa have won all five ODIs against Ireland.
  • William Porterfield has the second-most runs of any player on this ground (315, avg. 31.50). Andy Balbirnie is close behind with 277 runs (avg. 30.77).
  • Simi Singh has taken 14 wickets in seven ODIs this year.
  • South Africa can move ahead of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the ODI Super League table with a win here.

Possible Playing 11

Kevin O’Brien retired from 50-over cricket after Ireland’s series loss to The Netherlands. So, William Porterfield, who was dropped for the third ODI of that series, is set to slot in.

Curtis Campher, who was super impressive against England last year, is also set to return after injury.

Ireland: 1. Paul Stirling, 2. William Porterfield, 3. Andy Balbirnie (c), 4. Harry Tector, 5. Curtis Campher, 6. Lorcan Tucker (wk), 7. Simi Singh, 8. Andy McBrine, 9. Barry McCarthy, 10. Josh Little, 11. Craig Young

Anrich Nortje missed the fifth T20I vs West Indies due to a knee complaint. He should be fit and ready to go for this game.

South Africa: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Aiden Markram, 3. Temba Bavuma (c), 4. Rassie van der Dussen, 5. David Miller, 6. Heinrich Klaasen, 7. Andile Phehlukwayo, 8. Kagiso Rabada, 9. Anrich Nortje, 10. Lungi Ngidi, 11. Tabraiz Shamsi

Malahide Pitch Report and Weather

There is some grass on the pitch which can aid movement for the new ball bowlers. So, the challenge for the openers will be to see this period through. If they can, then they can take advantage of the small boundaries on this ground.

Unfortunately, there is a 70% chance of rain. Hopefully there should be enough play for a result.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

IRE vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IRE vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Ireland vs South Africa 1st ODI Key Players | Malahide Pitch Report

Option 2:

IRE vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IRE vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Ireland vs South Africa 1st ODI Key Players | Malahide Pitch Report

Match Prediction

South Africa to win, weather permitting.

ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | England Women vs India Women 2nd T20I Key Players | County Ground Hove Pitch Report

“One of the all-time best catches!” This was the big story from the first game of the series, rather than England taking the lead in the three-match T20I series. Indian All-rounder Harleen Deol produced an extraordinary effort on the boundary rope to send Amy Jones back to pavilion in the first innings. However, rain spoiled proceedings, as it interrupted the game after England produced an excellent batting display courtesy of Nat Sciver and Amy Jones.

So, here we are for the middle game of the series, where India will be looking to keep it alive. The Women in Red will be happy with this and they are charged up for the second game which is to be played at Hove. It is a must-win clash for the Women in Blue as they will be willing to take the series to the last game as well. Both teams would want their key players to perform well and to be at their best in the important game on Sunday.

India Women need to be better in both departments. The England Women are in red-hot form in T20I cricket and it will require an extraordinary effort from the visitors to snap their rivals’ winning streak. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has to make sure that she leads her team from the front in a Do-or-Die game. 

Match Details

  • Match: ENGW vs INDW, 2nd T20I, India Women tour of England, 2021
  • Date and Time: Sunday, July 11, 2021, 07:00 PM(IST)
  • Venue: County Ground, Hove.

Key Players/Key Stats

India

  • Shafali Verma got out to an excellent delivery from K Brunt. However, one can expect Verma he to boost up and get ready for the next clash. Again, she will have the same job to play brutally and destroy the bowling figures of the English bowlers. 
  • Her partner Smitri Mandana looked good and confident as she scored 29 (17) in the first match. In those 29, she had 24 runs in boundaries. She has scored 346 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 142.38 against England in T20Is.
  • Previous match’s star girl Harleen Deol is expected to continue her dream form in the second match as well. She scored 17* (24) in the first game after being promoted to play at three. India may need her to bowl some overs as well. In her short career until now, she has six scalps to her name in eight innings.
  • Team India’s leading bowler Shikha Pandey will have to play as a key factor if India wants to level up the series on Sunday. She was most economical and took three important wickets in the previous game. She has taken six wickets in seven innings against England so far and would like to take a few more in the remaining games. She can also contribute some runs while batting.

England

  • Both England openers Tammy Beaumont and Danielle Wyatt gave a fine start to their innings in the first T20I. In addition, they would love to continue this form, which can help their team to win. Tammy has scored 226 runs in 12 innings (avg. 20.54) whereas Danni has 364 runs (avg. 30.33) to her name against India. 
  • Nat Sciver was in stupendous form and was hitting very brutally. She hit eight fours and a six in her score of 55 (27). She also contributed in the bowling department as she took a wicket. Sciver has scored 241 runs in 11 innings and scalped four wickets against India.
  • The third-ranked T20I bowler Sarah Glenn could be a threat for Team India in the 2nd game. She was looking very good before the rain interrupted the first T20I, where she had figures 1.4-0-6-1. 
  • Another English spinner Sophie Ecclestone is the player who can turn the game in an over or two. She has five wickets in five innings vs India, and she would be intent to send a few more batters back to the pavilion. Incredibly, she has 61 wickets in just 43 T20Is.

Stats and Facts

  • Head to head: Matches 20, England 16, India 4.
  • In England: Matches 6, ENGW 5, INDW 1
  • England Women have won just a single T20I game (out of five) at County Ground, Hove so far. While, India Women are yet to play a T20I game there.

Possible Playing 11

England are likely to go with the same team in the second T20I.

England: 1. Danielle Wyatt, 2. Tammy Beaumont, 3. Nat Sciver, 4. Heather Knight (c), 5. Amy Jones (wk), 6. Sophia Dunkley, 7. Katherine Brunt, 8. Sophie Ecclestone, 9. Sarah Glenn, 10. Mady Villiers, 11. Freya Davies

For India, Arundhati Reddy went for 31 runs at 10.33 and she might make way for Pooja Vastrakar.

India: 1. Smriti Mandana, 2. Shafali Verma, 3. Harleen Deol, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5. Deepti Sharma, 6. Richa Ghosh (wk), 7. Sneh Rana, 8. Pooja Vastrakar, 9. Shikha Pandey, 10. Radha Yadav, 11. Poonam Yadav

County Ground Hovew Pitch Report and Weather Report

Expect the pitch to be balanced and support batters and bowlers equally. With the past record, the toss-winning captain could choose to bat first and 160+ will be a decent total for them.

The weather is expected to be cloudy with a shower in the afternoon. Some of the game time is likely to be interrupted due to rain. rain gods must show mercy if fans want to enjoy the full battle.

Dream 11 Prediction

Option 1:

ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | England Women vs India Women 2nd T20I Key Players | County Ground Hove Pitch Report
ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | England Women vs India Women 2nd T20I Key Players | County Ground Hove Pitch Report
ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

I think India will bounce back and win the game.

WI vs AUS 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WI vs AUS 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs AUS 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Australia 2nd T20I Key Players | St Lucia Pitch Report

It had been a while since Australia played any international cricket. However, the glaring issues in their T20 batting remain despite some new faces. Faced with a seemingly easy scenario of 41 runs to win in 60 balls with six wickets in hand, Australia decided to put all common sense to the side and play as if they needed 141 runs. The shot selection was atrocious, as they surrendered the perfect opportunity to start their tour on the perfect note.

However, in Australia’s weakness we can see West Indies’ strength. Such is their depth that they can never been written off, and that applies not only to their bowling effort, but also the effort of Andre Russell with the bat. His 28-ball 51 took the Windies to a defendable total after Josh Hazlewood further pressed his claims for more games in T20Is with a superb powerplay bowling performance.

Now, the Windies have the chance to take a 2-0 series lead and build some momentum. After their series defeat to South Africa, and without the services of regular skipper Kieron Pollard in the opening game, a 2-0 series lead can build some great confidence with the T20 World Cup approaching.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

West Indies:

  • Andre Russell struggled against South Africa (62 runs, avg. 15.50). He produced the goods yesterday after getting dropped early on, scoring 51 off 28 balls to rescue the Windies’ innings. He has now scored 133 runs in T20s on this ground at an average of 33.25 and superb strike rate of 211.11.
  • Can Evin Lewis bounce back after a duck in the first T20I? He was recently West Indies’ leading run-scorer in the series vs South Africa (178, avg. 35.60, SR 160.36).
  • Kieron Pollard missed the first T20I owing to a hamstring injury. If he is available, then Australia needs to watch out as Pollard has smashed 541 runs at an average of 90.17 and strike rate of 177.38 in T20s on this ground.
  • How well is Obed McCoy going? The left-armer continues to bamboozle batsmen with his slower ball, which has resulted in 17 wickets in his last nine T20Is (including 4/26 yesterday). He has gone wicketless only once in these last nine matches.
  • Hayden Walsh Jr enjoyed a very successful return to the Windies team. His 3/23 helped kickstart the Aussie collapse. Fabian Allen was also good with the ball (2/24), and produced some superb catching in the field.

Australia:

  • Given Australia’s middle-order worries, Aaron Finch’s role becomes even more important. He scored just 4 (5) yesterday, so how he bounces back will be key for the Aussies.
  • Matthew Wade was looking in superb touch (33 off 14 balls) before slapping one straight to deep point. Wade’s batting was all-the-more impressive given he usually struggles in T20 chases. When batting first, he has scored 1,946 runs at 36.72 (SR 149.12). When batting second, the numbers drop significantly to 18.02 and 118.09 respectively.
  • Mitchell Marsh scored a fine 31-ball 51 yesterday (along with 2/26), but would have been disappointed to not finish the job for Australia. Marsh has been in fine form on this tour, with scores of 56 (28) and 31 (21) in the intra-squad matches before the first T20I.
  • Josh Hazlewood was outstanding in the first T20I, producing figures of 3/12. During the powerplay, he took figures of 2/3 in three overs, including a maiden. It will be fascinating to see how the Windies batsmen respond.
  • Ashton Agar has taken 19 wickets in 12 T20Is since the start of 2020, including two five-fors. He will be key in conditions that can assist spin, along with Adam Zampa. Both went wicketless in the first T20I, as did the struggling Mitchell Starc.

Also read: Twitter reactions to Australia’s shocking collapse

Stats and Facts

  • Is Chris Gayle on borrowed time? The great T20 batsman has had a tough year in T20Is in 2021 (89 runs in eight innings, avg. 12.71 SR 94.68).
  • Australia lost 6/19 yesterday to lose the match by 18 runs.
  • West Indies have won their last four T20Is against Australia, going back to 2012.

Possible Playing 11

If Kieron Pollard isn’t fit for this game, then the Windies could go in with the same XI that won the first T20I.

West Indies: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Nicholas Pooran (c & wk), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Fabian Allen, 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Hayden Walsh Jr, 10. Obed McCoy, 11. Fidel Edwards

It was a shocker for Australia yesterday. They may give the same team a chance to redeem themselves.

Australia: 1. Aaron Finch (c), 2. Matthew Wade (wk), 3. Mitchell Marsh, 4. Josh Philippe, 5. Moises Henriques, 6. Ben McDermott, 7. Dan Christian, 8. Ashton Agar, 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Daren Sammy National Stadium St. Lucia Pitch Report and Weather

The surface looked a pretty decent one for batting, with poor strokeplay, rather than the pitch, the reason for the downfall of many batsmen. It remains to be seen if the same pitch is used for this match, but a decent batting pitch, with some help for the spinners (and slower balls) can be expected.

More windy conditions are forecast for this match, with some showers throughout the day. However, there shouldn’t be too much rain to affect the game significantly. The wind may see dew not play a factor.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

WI vs AUS 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WI vs AUS 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

There is a sense of unpredictability in both teams at the moment, which makes this match a tough one to predict. The last five T20Is in West Indies have been won by the team batting first. Given both teams’ chasing worries, that trend could continue here.

Twitter reactions to Australia collapse in T20I vs WI

Twitter reactions to Australia collapse in T20I vs WI | Australia collapse vs WI: Australia lose 6/19 to concede first T20I against West Indies

Australia fans rejoiced as the national team took the field for the first time since February. The long wait seemed worth it as Josh Hazlewood led the way in pushing the star-studded West Indies lineup on the backfoot thanks to his superb spell of 3/12.

However, smiles were then turned upside down as Australia collapsed to lose by 18 runs, courtesy of mindless, stupid and ridiculous batting.

Sitting very pretty at 105/4 after 10 overs, and needing just 41 for victory, Australia then batted as if they needed 141. Their last six wickets – probably the same amount of brain cells that went into the batting effort – fell for just 22 runs to throw away a 1-0 series lead.

Credit must be given to the West Indian bowlers and fielders for executing their plans so well, after letting a series slip vs South Africa. However, Australia were the masters of their own downfall. It’s all well and good looking to play big shots in T20s, but there is a time and place for sensible batting, too. Australia needed four an over in the last 10. The only way Windies were going to win was with 10 wickets. Australia obliged.

Of course, when Australia collapse like this, Twitter is going to be all over it. Here are some of the Twitter reactions:


Australia will now have to pick themselves up for the second T20I which will be played 24 hours later. Places in the T20 World Cup squad are up for grabs, so performances must be better than what was on show on Friday evening.

ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Pakistan 2nd ODI Key Players | Lord’s Pitch Report

Cricket just doesn’t feel right without an unpredictable Pakistan. Faced with an England side that had their entire first team in isolation due to a COVID-19 outbreak, the Pakistanis were never in the game after slumping to 26/4. It was a batting performance that looked completely tentative – perhaps even complacent – against an England bowling attack consisting of players looking to make a mark.

The in-form Saqib Mahmood led the way, breaking the back of the Pakistan batting lineup early. Mahmood has come of age in 2021 after impressing in the first half of PSL 2021 earlier this year, and is now staking a strong claim to be part of England’s first-team setup given his wicket-taking abilities. Then, Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley were clinical and effective in chasing Pakistan’s paultry 141.

For England, they return to Lord’s for their first ODI since that memorable day, and will once again look to showcase their terrific white-ball depth. On a weekend where England aim to “bring football home”, the cricket side will be looking to make some more headlines of their own.

Knowing Pakistan, though, they can produce a blinder today. In fact, they have enjoyed success at Lord’s in the past, beating both South Africa and Bangladesh comprehensively in the 2019 World Cup, as well as winning their last two Tests against England there. The spotlight will undoubtedly be on the top order, who will be looking for a much better performance this time around.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

England:

  • Saqib Mahmood’s battle with the Pakistani top order will be fascinating to watch, especially given that cloudy and rainy conditions are forecast for Lord’s. He was man-of-the-match in the first ODI, with his 4/42 ripping Pakistan’s batting lineup apart.
  • Expect Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory, if picked, to enjoy the conditions. They took three wickets between them in the first ODI, finding a touch of movement both in the air and off the surface.
  • Dawid Malan now has two 50+ scores in four ODIs after his 68* in the first ODI. He also recently scored 76 off 48 balls vs Sri Lanka in a T20I.
  • Zak Crawley has been out of form in red-ball cricket recently, but his unbeaten half-century last game will do his confidence the world of good. He has scored 378 runs in three innings vs Pakistan across formats, as opposed to 384 runs in 22 innings against everyone else.
  • Ben Stokes returns to the ground where he produced a memorable knock to help England lift the World Cup. He has scored 237 runs in six ODIs at Lord’s at an average of 47.40, as well as 377 runs in nine innings vs Pakistan at an average of 53.85.

Pakistan:

  • Fakhar Zaman looked the best of the Pakistani batsmen in the first ODI. His 47 was cut short by a poorly-executed cut shot, but one can be confident in Zaman’s ability to produce another good knock today. He has scored 340 runs in eight ODIs vs England at an average of 42.50.
  • Eyes will be on Babar Azam after a duck in the first ODI. He has achieved two 50+ scores in three ODIs at Lord’s, as well as 639 runs in 17 matches vs England at an average of 42.60.
  • Imam-ul-Haq will be important, too. He has enjoyed past success vs England, with 278 runs in six ODIs at an average of 69.50. However, this includes a score of 151, which means that his remaining five knocks have yielded just 127 runs.
  • Mohammad Rizwan (500 runs, avg. 45.45) and Sohaib Maqsood (428 runs, SR 156.77) recently had superb PSL 2021 campaigns. Maqsood was looking in decent touch in the first ODI, before getting run-out for 19.
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi has enjoyed success at Lord’s. He has seven wickets in two matches, including a six-for vs Bangladesh in the 2019 World Cup. He was the only Pakistani bowler to take a wicket in the first ODI (1/22).

Stats and Facts

  • This match will be held at full capacity. This will be the first time that a match will have a full crowd in England since 2019.
  • Ben Stokes is set to play his 100th ODI. He will be the 25th England player to reach that mark.
  • Fakhar Zaman has scored 349 runs in four ODIs this year, with only Mushfiqur Rahim (407) and Paul Stirling (546) ahead of him.
  • Hasan Ali averages 45.42 with the ball in 12 ODIs vs England. He will be seeking an improvement.

Possible Playing 11

England will likely stick with the same team, unless they choose to rotate one or more of their seamers.

England: 1. Phil Salt, 2. Dawid Malan, 3. Zak Crawley, 4. James Vince, 5. Ben Stokes (c), 6. John Simpson (wk), 7. Lewis Gregory, 8. Craig Overton/Jake Ball, 9. Brydon Carse, 10. Saqib Mahmood, 11. Matt Parkinson

Pakistan could also stick with the same team. Their thinking may be to give the players a chance to redeem themselves.

Pakistan: 1. Fakhar Zaman, 2. Imam-ul-Haq, 3. Babar Azam (c), 4. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5. Saud Shakeel, 6. Sohaib Maqsood, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Faheem Ashraf, 9. Hasan Ali, 10. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11. Haris Rauf

Lord’s Pitch Report and Weather

Rain is forecast in London, particularly in the morning. This provides some hope that conditions will clear enough in the afternoon to allow for a result. In such conditions, the new ball bowlers can certainly have a say, which puts the onus on the top-order players to perform. However, run-scoring on this ground has prevalent in the Vitality Blast, with the three teams batting first posting totals of 223, 183 and 166.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Pakistan 2nd ODI Key Players | Lord's Pitch Report
ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Pakistan 2nd ODI Key Players | Lord's Pitch Report
ENG vs PAK 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Chasing could the preferred choice given the weather conditions. Pakistan will be after a much-improved performance, and they are capable of producing the goods. Pakistan to win.

WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Australia 1st T20I Key Players | St Lucia Pitch Report

Block out your calendars. Maybe chuck a small party with your family at home. Australia are finally back playing cricket. And, one of the toughest tests in T20 cricket awaits them.

Sure, West Indies are coming off a surprise 3-2 series defeat against South Africa, but Australia will still have to hit their straps straight away. With a number of first-team players not present on tour, it is an opportunity for a number of players to plug holes in the Australian team and make a case for a spot in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Indeed, Aaron Finch and Justin Langer will be hoping that the team fires right away against a side coming off five T20I matches in the quest to build confidence and nail some of the important combinations that are still unanswered from an Australian perspective.

From a Windies perspective, how quickly can they bounce back? We’ve listed four key areas for Pollard’s team to improve on from their series defeat to the Proteas, and no doubt they’ll use this series as a means to build confidence ahead of their T20 World Cup defence later this year. Powerplay wickets will be key against an Australian side that could still rely a lot on their top order, and it will be interesting to see how the home side approaches the middle overs with bat in hand.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

West Indies:

  • Evin Lewis was West Indies’ highest run-scorer in the recent series vs South Africa (178, avg. 35.60, SR 160.36). Also, he has a decent T20 record on this ground, with 237 runs at an average of 29.63 and strike rate of 141.07. Signs point to a 30+ score here.
  • Chris Gayle has enjoyed success against Australia in the past. He has scored 299 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 42.71 and strike rate of 159.89. Plus, Gayle has dominated teams at St. Lucia in T20s, with 397 runs at 66.17 and a superb strike rate of 175.66.
  • Kieron Pollard will have a key role to play. He played just the one significant knock in the recent South Africa series, so he will be after a more consistent performance. He has the fifth-most runs in WI-AUS T20Is, with 159 to his name (avg. 22.71, SR 157.42).
  • Also, Pollard has an unbelievable record at St. Lucia in T20s. In 15 matches, he has amassed 541 runs at an average of 90.17 and strike rate of 177.38. He has taken eight wickets, too.
  • Eyes will be on Andre Russell in this battle. He was well under par in the recent South Africa series, scoring just 62 runs at 15.50. His 82 runs in T20s on this ground come at an insane strike rate of 234.29 (avg. 27.33).
  • Dwayne Bravo recently finished with the most wickets in the WI-SA series (10), closely followed by the impressive Obed McCoy (9). Both will be key in limiting the Aussie batting lineup as Jason Holder will be rested.

Australia:

  • Skipper Aaron Finch needs to lead the way. He has played just the two T20Is vs West Indies (20 runs), and one can say he has come leaps and bounds as a white-ball player since 2014.
  • Matthew Wade much prefers batting first in T20s. When batting first, Wade has scored 1,946 runs at 36.72 (SR 149.12). When batting second, the numbers drop significantly to 17.71 and 115.89 respectively. He scored 52 off 34 balls in Australia’s second intra-squad warmup match.
  • Mitchell Marsh scored a 28-ball 56 in the first intra-squad match in this tour. He then followed it up with 31 off 21 balls in the next intra-squad match. He will be key batting at number three.
  • How will Josh Philippe adapt to a middle order role? The talented right-hander scored 67 off 43 balls a couple of days ago in the intra-squad match.
  • Welcome back, Dan Christian. The 38-year old will have a key role to play in solving Australia’s middle order worries. He was superb in the last BBL campaign, smashing 272 runs at a strike rate of 182.55, along with 15 wickets. He also scored 47 off 31 balls in the first intra-squad match.
  • Ashton Agar has taken 19 wickets in 11 T20Is since the start of 2020, including two five-fors. He will be key in conditions that can assist spin, along with Adam Zampa.
  • Mitchell Starc needs to lead the way for Australia, particularly at the death. He took six wickets in three games vs West Indies between 2012 and 2014.

Stats and Facts

  • Australia and West Indies will meet for the first time in a T20I since 2014.
  • Australia have a 100% win record in T20Is at St. Lucia (four wins).
  • Moises Henriques comes into this match in good touch, after scores of 51 and 36 in the recent warm-up matches.

Possible Playing 11

The home side will look to stick with similar players in the batting lineup, according to skipper Kieron Pollard.

West Indies: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Kieron Pollard (c), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Akeal Hosain, 10. Obed McCoy, 11. Fidel Edwards

Australia coach Justin Langer said that Mitchell Marsh will bat at three. Also, Dan Christian will play, along with Moises Henriques, Ben McDermott and Josh Philippe.

Australia: 1. Aaron Finch, 2. Matthew Wade (wk), 3. Mitchell Marsh, 4. Moises Henriques, 5. Ben McDermott, 6. Josh Philippe, 7. Dan Christian, 8. Ashton Agar, 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Riley Meredith/Josh Hazlewood

Darren Sammy National Stadium St. Lucia Pitch Report and Weather

Spin is expected to play a key role on a ground where 160 is usually par. In the last men’s T20s on this ground, back in 2019, there were four first innings scores in the 160s out of six matches. Spin is expected to play a role, so batting first could be tempting given that the cloudy weather could see dew not play a factor. Despite the clouds, a dry evening is forecast.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Australia 1st T20I Key Players | St Lucia Pitch Report
WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Australia 1st T20I Key Players | St Lucia Pitch Report
WI vs AUS 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

West Indies start this match as favourites, given they have a strong T20 side and have been playing regularly in recent times. Australia will be looking to make a good start, as South Africa showed that the Windies are beatable. However, my pick is for WI to take out the first game in a tight one.

ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | England women vs India women 1st T20 Key Players | Northampton Pitch Report

After an incredible series win in the ODI format, England are all set to resume their rivalry against India in the shortest form of the game. England will be eager to continue their winning streak after winning the ODIs 2-1. India, on the other hand, will be aiming towards winning the series and ending their tour of England with joy.

Experienced players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma and Smriti Mandhana will have to shoulder more responsibility for the Indian team. The team will also be hoping for a fine knock from young talent Shafali Verma. The Indian batters were guilty of consuming too many dot balls in the ODIs, and it is something they can’t afford to do in the shortest format, so all eyes will be on who executes best.

On the other hand, the Heather Knight-led 2nd ranked T20I team England will be looking to dominate the guests in this format as well. No doubt the team will miss the services of star bowler Kate Cross and batter Lauren Winfield-Hill, but they will be happy to get Danni Wyatt and Mady Villiers as the replacements. Barring that, England is full of confidence and are ready to try and achieve more success. 

An exciting contest is on the cards.

Match Details

  • Match: ENGW vs INDW, 1st T20I, India Women tour of England, 2021
  • Date and Time: Friday, July 09, 2021, 11:00 PM(IST)
  • Venue: County Ground, Northampton

Key Players/Key Stats

England:

  • England vice-captain Nat Sciver has rediscovered some fine form with both bat and ball. The 2nd ranked all rounder in T20Is will be a key player in the upcoming T20I series. Nat Sciver has scored 202 runs at a strike rate of 109 from her last 9 matches. Against India, she has scored 186 runs in 10 matches (avg. 23.25) and also scalped 3 wickets so far (avg. 53).
  • Tammy Beaumont is also in great form, with runs in the Test and ODIs. She has scored 222 runs from her last 9 T20Is at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 109. If she stays for 5-10 overs at the crease, she can destroy the opponent. She will be keen to improve her record vs India, with 208 runs in 11 innings at an average of 20.80.
  • Skipper Heather Knight has been outstanding in T20Is since the beginning of 2020. She has scored a total of 525 runs at an average of 37.50 and strike rate of 131.58.
  • Sophie Ecclestone has been an asset for the English team and is expected to continue her dream form. The top-ranked T20I bowler has scalped five wickets in four innings against India (part of 61 career wickets in just 42 T20Is) and will intend towards increasing this number of wickets. She is going to be one of the biggest threats for Team India.
  • England’s most experienced pacer Katherine Brunt is set to feature in her 90th T20I game against her favorite team to play against. She has been brilliant against India taking as many as 19 wickets in 14 games. She is the top wicket-taker in ENGvsIND T20Is.
  • Danielle Wyatt is a danger for India if not sent back early. She has a good record against India scoring 333 runs so far at a fine average of 30.27 and strike rate of 128.57.
  • Sarah Glenn has a superb record in T20I cricket (27 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 12.48 and econ. 5.43). She went wicketless in her only game vs India, back in 2020 (0/26).

India:

  • Top-ranked batter, 17 year-old Shafali Verma, is going to be a bad nightmare for hosts if she bats even just 10 overs. All know what she has done in her short career till now. Destroying the bowling lineup in the first powerplay will be the main task for her. She is an obvious pick if you are playing fantasy.
  • Fellow opener Smiti Mandhana can be that X-factor for India. She has the ability to accelerate at any moment she wishes, and loves to bat in 2nd innings and finish things for her team. She has scored 317 runs in 10 innings against England and has a strike rate of 140.26.
  • India’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has not been in the best of form recently.  She is going through a bad patch as she made scores of 16, 19 and 1 in the ODI series. Kaur will target a big score in the 1st T20I as she looks to lead India from the front. She has 285 runs (avg. 23.75) and 2 wickets to her name while playing against England. 
  • Deepti Sharma is going to be the key player for India in both departments – Batting and bowling. She has scored 72 runs in 6 innings (avg. 24) and scalped 9 wickets in 8 matches vs England. 

Stats and Facts 

  • Head to head: Matches 19, England 15, India 4.
  • Last 5 matches: England 3, India 2.
  • England women are yet to get defeated at Northampton’s County Ground. They have played 6 T20Is and won all of them.
  • In all 6 women’s games played at the venue, the team batting first has won. But in ENGW vs INDW HTH, the team chasing has won 14 times out of 19.
  • We can see the battle of ICC top ranked bowler (Ecclestone) vs Top ranked batter (Shafali) in the match.

Squads

England: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain) Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Indrani Roy, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav, Simaran Dil Bahadur.

Possible Playing 11

England: 1. Tammy Beaumont, 2. Danni Wyatt, 3. Nat Sciver, 4. Heather Knight (c), 5. Amy Jones (wk), 6. Sophia Dunkley, 7. Anya Shrubsole, 8. Katherine Brunt, 9. Sophie Ecclestone, 10. Sarah Glenn, 11. Natasha Farrant/Mady Villiers

India: 1. Smriti Mandhana, 2. Shafali Verma, 3. Jemimah Rodrigues, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5. Deepti Sharma, 6. Taniya Bhatia (wk), 7. Richa Ghosh/Harleen Deol, 8. Pooja Vastrakar/Ekta Bisht, 9. Shikha Pandey, 10. Radha Yadav, 11. Poonam Yadav

County Ground Northampton Pitch Report and Weather

The cut-throat contest between batters and bowlers is expected to take place during the match. The pitch could provide some assistance for the bowlers up-front. Target between 150-165 promises to be a competitive score at this venue. The team who wins the toss could look to chase under lights.

New moon day. Partly cloudy skies overnight. Some showers may interrupt the game, but mostly perfect weather is expected for playing cricket.

Dream 11 Prediction

Option 1:

ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | England women vs India women 1st T20 Key Players | Northampton Pitch Report
ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | England women vs India women 1st T20 Key Players | Northampton Pitch Report
ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Tough to predict as both teams look well equipped. However, I think it is going to be 60-40 in favour of England. 

Written by Aditya Narsale. Follow Aditya on Twitter today.

4 areas West Indies need to fix ahead of T20 World Cup

4 areas West Indies need to fix ahead of T20 World Cup | 4 key areas that West Indies need to fix vs Australia & ahead of the T20 World Cup

Blessed with so many dynamic players throughout the lineup, West Indies is T20 cricket’s powerhouse in the eyes of millions around the globe. Therefore, cricket fans were surprised by their defeat at the hands of a South African side under transition in their recent home series.

With the T20 World Cup around the corner, the defending champions need to address their issues with absolute immediacy. In this article, I am going to throw some light on four such issues they had in their latest T20 series against South Africa and need to work upon in their upcoming face-off against Australia.

Batting in the middle overs

Good batting in the middle overs sets the stage for a strong finish at the death in T20 cricket. It is a bit of a tricky phase, where the batting team needs to score at a good pace while not losing too many wickets at the same time.

One of the chief reasons for the defeat of the West Indies against South Africa was their poor batting in the middle overs. The West Indies side had a run rate of a mere 6.8 and lost 3.4 wickets on an average in the middle overs phase in the series. The average and SR of the West Indies batsmen in this phase was 16.94 and 106.66 respectively. 39.62% of deliveries were dots, and they took 8.70 balls to hit one boundary in this phase. These numbers justify their poor returns in the middle overs in the series, which they need to work on against the Aussies.         

Bowling in the powerplay

As a bowling unit, you need to keep things tight and not let the batting team score easy runs in the first six overs of the game. This, in turn, can create pressure on the batsmen and they might get dismissed while manufacturing shots in order to release the pressure.

However, the Windies bowlers let the South African batsmen regularly enjoy good starts. They conceded 251 runs and were able to pick up only six wickets during the powerplay phase in the series, with their bowling average and SR in the PP 41.83 and 30 respectively. Their collective economy rate was a not-so-impressive 8.36. They should surely want to improve these numbers in their upcoming series.

Performance of frontline spinners

Their frontline spinners disappointed for the defending champions in their recent encounter against the visiting South Africans. Kevin Sinclair, Fabian Allen and Akeal Hosein conceded 173 runs and took only four wickets with a collective economy of 8.23 in the series. Their average and SR was 43.25 and 31.5 respectively, which shows that they were able to neither pick wickets nor control the flow of runs efficiently.

On the other hand, South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi bowled exceptionally well on those tracks and turned out to be one of the major differences between the two sides. With the T20 World Cup scheduled in UAE, where the spinners are expected to play a big role with the progression of the tournament, West Indies should definitely look to work on their department of spin bowling.

Performance of the middle and lower middle order batsmen

Another thing that let the home side down in the series against South Africa was the performance of their middle and lower middle order batsmen. There were big names like Hetmyer, Pooran, Pollard, Russell and Holder, but nobody was consistent throughout the series.

The no. 4, 5, 6 and 7 batsmen of the Windies batting lineup had a collective batting average and SR of a mere 18.47 and 121.49 respectively. The monstrous hitters took 7.6 balls to hit a single boundary. This kind of ordinary collective performance was certainly the reason behind the failure of the West Indies team to chase thrice in the series.  

Despite being one of the toughest T20I sides, I find these four reasons responsible for the defeat and expect them to make a grand comeback against the Aussies.

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today. 

ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Pakistan 1st ODI Key Players | Cardiff Pitch Report

The first match of Pakistan’s tour of England is set to be played at Cardiff on Thursday, and it has taken a remarkable turn. After seven team members tested positive for Covid-19, England need to play the series with a newly announced squad consisting as many as seven uncapped players. Star all-rounder Ben Stokes will be making his comeback to International cricket in the 1st match, and he will lead Team England as well.

On the other hand, Pakistan – the well and fully equipped side – will look forward to grab the win over the hosts in the absence of their main players. Pakistan team management will be feeling a little bit more happy as they have a chance to clinch the series against the lesser-experienced team.

Recently, England defeated Sri Lanka by 2-0 in a 3 match ODI series – but with another squad – which is now in self isolation. However, with nine uncapped players in the current squad, the job for the hosts looks a bit challenging and especially for captain Ben Stokes. Pakistan also have won their last ODI series (2-1) they played against Proteas team back in April.

So this is going to be an interesting contest of inexperience but excitement against experience and talent.

Match Details

  • Match: ENG vs PAK, 1st ODI, Pakistan tour of England, 2021
  • Date and time: Thursday, July 08, 2021. 5.30 PM (IST)
  • Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Key Players/Key Stats

 England:

  • Captain Ben Stokes has to be at his best to help his team hold well against a quite strong and experienced team. He will be making his return to Intl. cricket after a quite long gap of 3 months and he is set to captain his team in ODIs for the first time. Talking about Ben vs PAK in ODI’s, he has scored 377 runs in 9 innings at avg. of 53.85 and has also scalped a wicket. He is expected to perform brilliantly as an all rounder and hence to lead his side from the front.
  • England’s T20I specialist Dawid Johannes Malan is set to play his 4th international ODI on Thursday. He has scored 90 runs in 3 ODIs he has played till today. So he will look to get more runs through this series which might help him to cement his place in 1st choice ODI 11.
  • 26 years old WK batsman Ben Duckett is set to make his return to ODI playing 11 since 2016 and will be aiming towards grabbing this beautiful opportunity. The talented lefty batsman has scored 123 with 2 50’s in 3 games. He is also expected to keep wickets for the hosts.
  • Lancashire man Saqib Mahmood, who made his ODI debut in early 2020, will be very happy to be back in the England fold. He has scalped 5 wickets in 4 matches he has played with economy 4.75. He also enjoyed a superb first half of PSL 2021 earlier this year.

Pakistan:

  • Mohammed Rizwan and Babar Azam set up fireworks for their respective teams in PSL and with them playing together, it could be a nightmare for the opposition bowlers. Both of them are the main pillars of Pakistan’s batting. 
  • Rizwan has not been really good against England, but he is coming with great form and he can destroy the inexperienced England Bowling lineup. Whereas Babar has scored as many as 639 runs in 16 innings against England and will be looking to get more. 
  • Imam ul Haq has really been good against England in ODis so far. He has played only 5 games against them and scored 278 runs at a brilliant average of 92.66. If he gets good starts then he has the ability to make those big ones which could be a worrying thing for hosts. 
  • Hasan Ali will lead his team’s bowling attack. He could be that key factor for Pakistan who can change the game within an over or two. Besides that he has sent 14 Englishmen to the pavilion in a total of 10 innings. He can also provide some little cameos in the batting section. 
  • England’s conditions will suit Shaheen Afridi, who could rattle the top order single-handedly with his pace and swing. He has taken 5 wickets in 3 innings that he played against England. He has quite a good record in England as well with 21 wickets in 8 innings, where he enjoyed a fine 2019 World Cup. 
  • Haris Rauf is an underrated bowler who had a good series against South Africa, where he ended up as the joint leading wicket-taker with 7 scalps.
ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Pakistan 1st ODI Key Players | Cardiff Pitch Report
ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction: Babar will be key for Pakistan.

Stats and Facts

  • Head to Head: Matches 88, England 53, Pakistan 32, NR 3.
  • Last 5 matches: England 4, Pakistan 1.
  • Last time Pakistan won an ODI bilateral series against England was way back in the 2005-06 series.
  • Ben Stokes will be leading England for the very first time in ODIs.
  • England have won 8 matches out of 14 at Cardiff and 3 matches finished as a no result. On the other hand Pakistan have won 3 matches out of 5 they played there, where 1 was a NR. 
  • This will be the first match after 2015 that England will play an ODI without Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler in the playing XI.
  • Ben Stokes’ total experience of 98 matches in ODIs is more than double of the other 17 members of the revised ODI squad (48 ODIs).

Squads

England

Ben Stokes (c), Jake Ball, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Daniel Lawrence, Dawid Malan, James Vince, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, David Payne, John Simpson, Danny Briggs, Matt Parkinson, Tom Helm and Saqib Mahmood

Pakistan

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Sohail, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Hasan Ali, Usman Qadir, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Afridi

Possible Playing 11

England: 1. Ben Duckett (wk), 2. James Vince, 3. Dawid Malan, 4. Ben Stokes (c), 5. Daniel Lawrence, 6. Will Jacks, 7. Lewis Gregory, 8. Craig Overton, 9. Matt Parkinson, 10. Jake Ball, 11. Saqib Mahmood

Pakistan: 1. Fakhar Zaman, 2. Imam ul Haq, 3. Babar Azam (c), 4. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5. Sohaib Maqsood, 6. Haris Sohail/Shadab Khan, 7. Faheem Ashraf, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10. Shadab Khan, 11. Haris Rauf

Cardiff Pitch Report and Weather

The teams chasing have a history of winning more matches here. It’s a flat deck with a good carry and bounce. The bowlers should use the short balls very effectively on this wicket. However, the spinners could play a major role in the middle overs, especially with the pitch getting slower as the match progresses. Anything over 280 will be a competitive score.

There will be some periods of sun with a couple of showers throughout the day. The highest temperature will expectedly be around 21 degrees Celsius and dip to 13 degrees lowest. With this being a day and night fixture, both teams will ideally look to chase upon winning the toss.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Pakistan 1st ODI Key Players | Cardiff Pitch Report
ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs Pakistan 1st ODI Key Players | Cardiff Pitch Report
ENG vs PAK 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction

(Tip: While selecting your fantasy team, make sure that you have selected all players who are part of playing 11’s. For that kindly edit it after the toss.)

Match Prediction

With advantage of more experience and confidence, I think Pakistan will take the lead of 1-0.

Written by Aditya Narsale. Follow Aditya on Twitter today.

“Dhoni is there, he will handle it”

“Dhoni is there, he will handle it” | Fan tribute to the great MS Dhoni on his 40th birthday | Dhoni Hai Na, Sambhaal Lega

Usually, the streets in Ranchi are completely empty at night with pin-drop silence. But on the night of 2nd April 2011, Ranchi gathered at its heart to celebrate the victory of its prince when he hit that final six 1,724 kilometers away in the Wankhede Stadium.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a household name in India. The man who took Indian cricket to the heights of glory. Dhoni is arguably the most celebrated cricketer in India. All the birthday wishes for him not only from the cricket fraternity, but from everyone who celebrated his match-winning sixes, and who felt heartbroken when he failed, shows the immense love and respect Dhoni has earned.

Who would have thought that a long-haired boy from a small town like Ranchi will do things that no one has ever done before?

Dhoni as captain was one of the best in the history of cricket. He is the only captain in the history of the game to win all the three ICC trophies.  India won the Asia Cup twice under him. India achieved the number one rank in Test cricket for the first time under Dhoni’s captaincy. Dhoni has 3 IPL titles to his name. He scored 10,000 runs in ODIs while batting at number 6 or below. The list of Dhoni’s achievements is indeed a very long one.

Be it the 2007 World T20 triumph against Pakistan when no one thought that India would even qualify for the knockouts, his iconic six to win the World Cup in 2011, or a young team built and led by Dhoni to win the ICC 2013 Champions Trophy, each of them was a special itself.

All the players who have played with him respect Dhoni immensely. The backing and support he gave to the players as the captain was his specialty. Backing Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over in 2007 World T20 or Ishant Sharma to bowl a very important overs when he was going for runs, or backing Ruturaj Gaikwad in the IPL after his string of low scores are some examples of that.

Dhoni’s international cricket career was very special. He inspired a lot of young kids like me, who grew up watching him do wonders on the cricket field. From witnessing his brutal hitting in the long hair to him just smiling and moving away after receiving the trophies, we’ve lived these moments with him.

Dhoni’s impact on Indian cricket is unparalleled. Indian fans used to shut off their TVs when Sachin got out. Dhoni made them glued to their TV screens until he was there no matter how bad the team situation was.

Dhoni’s legacy is people forgetting about all of their problems and celebrating like a festival on the streets all over India after his memorable six to win the 2011 World Cup.

Dhoni’s legacy is not the runs he scored, the sixes he hit, or the trophies he won, “Dhoni Hai Na, Sambhaal Lega” (Dhoni is there, he will handle) is his legacy. His legacy is the belief every Indian cricket fan had in him.

India will never get a player like Dhoni. He is special, one of a kind. Happy Birthday, Mahi.

Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on Twitter today.

Also read: Happy birthday, MS Dhoni – Twitter reactions