The Indian Premier League franchise, Rajasthan Royals (RR), has been sold to Kal Somani, who was already one of the stakeholders in the franchise. He will now have a 100% stake in the Royals franchise.
The franchise has been valued at $1.63 billion (INR 16,290 crores). This doesn’t only include the Rajasthan Royals but also the Barbados Royals (CPL and WCPL) and the Paarl Royals in the SA20 league.
A consortium, led by Somali, will take over the franchise post the IPL 2026 season from the current ownership of Manoj Badale of Emerging Media. The Royals were the franchise that got the lowest bid amongst the eight franchises back in 2008 for US $67 million at that time.
IPL’s founder Lalit Modi’s brother-in-law, Suresh Chelaram, held 56% stakes of the franchise before he exited, and then Manoj Badale emerged as the new owner. Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, owned 13% stake for INR 65 crores in 2009.
Kundra was later banned for life by the Loda committee for being involved in betting activities. RedBird Capital Partners acquired a 15% stake in the franchise for INR 550-600 crores back in 2021.
As a part of the deal/agreement, if RedBird were to leave, the other shareholders may also have to sell. With RedBird wanting to exit, the others had no choice but to sell the franchise.
Shane Warne’s superb business mind
Former Australian legend and arguably the best spinner ever, the late Shane Warne was the captain of the Royals in 2008, and he also led the side to a title in the inaugural season.
🚨 SHANE WARNE – THE MASTERMIND. 🚨
📢 Shane Warne took a salary of just 9.35cr from Rajasthan Royals for playing for 4 seasons, but here’s the real twist:
⚠️ He demanded a 0.75% equity in RR every year till the time he plays for coming out of retirement!
Warne asked for a 0.75% stake in the franchise till he plays for them. He went on to play in four editions, making him a 3% owner of the franchise. And now since the franchise has been sold for such big money, his 3% stake is worth somewhere around $4.6 billion dollars.
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The bowlers and Connor Esterhuizen’s display of stand-and-deliver hitting led South Africa to a series-levelling win in Wellington on Sunday. As a result, the series moves to a decider in Christchurch.
Players from both teams will be looking to make more of a mark to keep themselves at the forefront of selectors’ minds. Strike rates have been on the lower end, so impact is the order of the day with a series win up for grabs. Katene Clarke and Tim Robinson started promisingly for New Zealand, but it was a struggle thereafter.
South Africa’s bowlers found rhythm after the Black Caps struck at over 10 an over in the powerplay. Prenelan Subrayen’s yorkers turned the tide, and he will be key again against a New Zealand middle order that has its question marks. With Ottneil Baartman and Gerald Coetzee also able to take regular wickets, South Africa have every chance of series-levelling win.
This article will reference SPODA AI for predictive analysis that could help guide you in creating your fantasy cricket teams. Check out the platform here or below in the fantasy cricket tips section.
Rawalpindiz have signed Cole McConchie as a replacement player for Jake Fraser-McGurk in the PSL. There is no confirmation yet as to whether he’s left for Pakistan.
New Zealand: 1. Tim Robinson, 2. Katene Clark, 3. Dane Cleaver (wk), 4. Nick Kelly, 5. Bevon Jacobs, 6. James Neesham, 7. Cole McConchie/Jayden Lennox, 8. Josh Clarkson, 9. Zak Foukes, 10. Kyle Jamieson, 11. Ben Sears
South Africa could stick with the same team that won the fourth match.
South Africa: 1. Tony de Zorzi, 2. Wiaan Mulder, 3. Connor Esterhuizen (wk), 4. Rubin Hermann, 5. Dian Forrester, 6. Jason Smith, 7. George Linde, 8. Gerald Coetzee, 9. Keshav Maharaj (c), 10. Prenelan Subrayen, 11. Ottneil Baartman
Hagley Oval Christchurch Pitch Report and Weather
The average first innings score in the last five T20Is is 154.4. England smashed 236/4 in the last T20I on this ground in October 2025.
In all men’s T20s at Hagley Oval since the start of 2023, pace bowlers have taken 188 wickets at an average of 22.59 and economy of 8.06. Spinners have fared well, taking 82 wickets at an average of 25.95 and economy of 7.88.
There is a chance of rain affecting this match with showers forecast for the evening. Temperatures will drop to about 15 degrees under lights.
Fantasy Cricket Tips for NZ vs SA 5th T20 2026: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Top wicketkeeper picks:
Connor Esterhuizen is the likeliest player to make a 30+ score, with a 50% probability, according to SPODA AI. Esterhuizen is coming off an excellent half-century in the fourth T20I.
Key batter picks:
Tim Robinson looked in good touch for his 22-ball 32 in the fourth T20I. He is averaging just 14 for the series, but he is due a strong score.
Top allrounder picks:
Cole McConchie will be key against South Africa’s left-handers. He has dismissed Tony de Zorzi twice in nine balls in this series.
Wiaan Mulder has made consecutive ducks. But, the fact he opens the batting and provides overs with the ball makes him an attractive Dream11 pick.
Prenelan Subrayen is considered the likeliest bowler to take 2+ wickets in this game according to SPODA AI. The offspinner was excellent in the fourth T20I, targeting the Black Caps’ middle order with full deliveries targeted at the stumps.
Key bowler picks:
BenSears (39.13% chance of 2+ wickets) and Ottneil Baartman (35% chance of 2+ wickets) are two of the prominent wicket-takers this series. Sears has taken six wickets in his last two T20s at Hagley Oval. Baartman took the most scalps in the SA20 2026 season (20) at an average of 13.55 and strike rate of 8.90.
Gerald Coetzee has taken the equal-most wickets in this series (6) at an economy of just 6.47.
Since 2023, Kyle Jamieson has picked up 13 T20 wickets at Hagley Oval at an average of 15.69 and economy of 5.83.
For predictive analysis that could help guide you in creating your fantasy cricket teams, check out SPODA AI (AI Cricket Prediction & Match Analysis Tool) below.If you sign up, you will receive 3 FREE match passes to start.
Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams
Consider Zak Foulkes. The seam bowler has taken the most wickets of any bowler in all men’s T20s at Hagley Oval since the start of 2023 (21 wickets, avg. 15.29, SR 12.57).
Since the start of 2023, Nick Kelly has struck 130 runs at an average of 43.33 and strike rate of 152.94 in T20s at Hagley Oval.
Katene Clarke made a very promising start to his T20I debut, hitting two strong boundaries against spin straight away. He then cracked a pull shot straight to deep backward square leg where he was caught. Across the past two Super Smash seasons, Clarke has smashed 616 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of nearly 150.
George Linde is striking at 179.48 with the bat in this series.
Dane Cleaver has a strike rate of 140.5 in eight innings in T20s this year (184 runs, avg. 23).
Other Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 24, New Zealand 10, South Africa 14.
New Zealand have never won a bilateral T20I series of two or more matches against South Africa.
Tim Robinson is having a lean year in all T20s so far: 9 inns, 149 runs, avg. 16.6, SR 126.3.
Kyle Jamieson vs. Connor Esterhuizen this series: 29 balls, 41 runs, no wickets.
Ben Sears vs. Connor Esterhuizen in this series:23 balls, 27 runs, two wickets.
SA vs NZ 5th T20 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today Match
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Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.
Option 1:
SA vs NZ 5th T20 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today Match
Option 2:
SA vs NZ 5th T20 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today Match
SA vs NZ 5th T20 2026 Match Prediction – Who will win?
With rain around, the chasing team is likeliest to win this game.
Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes for Dream11 free contests in line with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The stats and writer’s views are in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.
All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo, and Cricmetric.
Under the leadership of Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings (PBKS) reached the 2025 final and will be aiming to go one better in 2026. The franchise qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2014, finishing top of the table and then narrowly losing the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
PBKS enter IPL 2026 with a settled core. They look strong once again, and will be seeking a smooth start to campaign where there will be plenty of expectation.
PBKS possible 11 for IPL 2026: Who will be the overseas players?
New recruit Cooper Connolly could slot in the middle order. The quality Azmatullah Omarzai is also an option for that role, but it will be interesting to see whether PBKS opt for the spin-bowling all-round option.
Ricky Ponting is a big fan of Marcus Stoinis, who will likely take one of the overseas slots alongside Marco Jansen and potentially Xavier Bartlett with Lockie Ferguson to miss a portion of the season for family reasons.
“Just had a wee son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out,” Ferguson said earlier this month, as quoted by ESPN. “I’ll have a few weeks off after this, before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter.”
Despite the Ferguson setback, there is a lot to like about PBKS this season. They bat deep and have plenty of bowling options. Shreyas Iyer (604 runs), Prabhsimran Singh (549 runs) and Priyansh Arya (475 runs) all had impactful seasons in 2025, and will be looking to set the tone once again in 2026.
Shreyas Iyer’s team will start their campaign against fellow playoff contenders Gujarat Titans at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium at Mullanpur on March 30. They will then travel to Chennai for a blockbuster against CSK on Wednesday April 3.
Former England captain and one of the best white-ball batters, Jos Buttler, has refused to have any intention of hanging up his boots in international cricket. The wicket-keeper batter managed only 87 runs in eight innings in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at an average of just 10.87, with his highest score being 26 runs.
On his podcast, Buttler accepted that he had a poor tournament, but he’s hopeful of regaining his form. He said, “I don’t know. Obviously I had a poor tournament, which is disappointing, but I’ve been playing some of the best cricket in recent years, so hopefully I can get back to playing my best.”
He continued that he certainly has ambitions to play for England, but he’s no longer the captain, and he’s not the selector, so what will be, will be. “Yeah, we’ll see,” he said.
The wicketkeeper batter said he ‘hopes’ to be in the English squad when India tours England for a 5-match T20I and a 3-match ODI series during the English summer.
Buttler spends time in mountains in France away from cricket
The former English captain said he spent time away from cricket up in the mountains in France with his family.
He said, “I couldn’t have been further away from cricket, which for me at the time was just perfect. It’s exactly what I needed. Obviously the tournament didn’t go personally how I’d have liked it to go, and I just felt like I needed some space from cricket and not to think about the game, and I could not have been further away from cricket than I was in that week.”
He continued, “It was really refreshing – I really enjoyed it, a complete sort of release. And slowly but surely, I’d say at the start of this week, just starting to reflect a bit and having a few thoughts about what’s important to me and my cricket and why it probably didn’t go quite as I would’ve liked.”
On what went wrong in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for him, he said that there are elements to it that he actually doesn’t really know. It just didn’t work out despite his best intentions, hard work, and efforts to perform.
Jos Buttler will now feature in the IPL as a part of the Gujarat Titans. He will be amongst the best players for the franchise and will hope to do well.
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Subramaniyam Badrinath has raised a question on his YouTube channel. He has asked if Indian star KL Rahul is happy at the Delhi Capitals (DC).
Badrinath was talking about the constant change in Rahul’s batting position for DC last season. Initially, he started batting at number four with Faf du Plessis and Abhishek Porel opening the innings. Later in the season, he was shifted to opener.
Badrinath said, “Every year, the batting order is their conundrum, especially where KL Rahul should bat. I believe KL Rahul wants to open the innings. But, on the other side, the team management wants him to bat in the middle order. This seems to be an ongoing conflict. They definitely have to solve this issue. It is unclear whether KL Rahul is happy in DC.”
Plenty of openers in the Delhi Capitals squad for IPL 2026 – Should KL Rahul bat there?
Rahul had a fantastic season in 2025, where he was the highest run-scorer for his side with 539 runs in 13 matches at an average of 53.90, and he had three fifties and one century to his name.
Faf du Plessis was there in the last edition of the tournament opening alongside Porel first and then KL Rahul. But Faf won’t be a part of the IPL in the upcoming season. However, Delhi Capitals still have many opening batters in their ranks.
The likes of Abhishek Porel, Pathum Nissanka, Ben Duckett, and Prithvi Shaw are all opening batters. They have also traded in Nitish Rana from the Rajasthan Royals, and Karun Nair is also there. It will be interesting to see who makes it to the Delhi Capitals’ top order as Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, and Tristan Stubbs are already there in the middle order.
The Capitals finished 5th in the points table last year with seven wins in 14 matches. The franchise will be itching to get their hands of the first title in IPL 2026.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be seeking a return to playoffs in IPL 2026 after missing the top four in 2025. They finished ninth in a disappointing season, and have lost the in-form Sanju Samson to CSK.
However, the emergence of young talent gives RR fans hope for the new campaign. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lit up IPL 2025 with a stunning 38-ball 101 that had to be seen to be believed. With Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Shimron Hetmyer to follow a strong top three, RR have the potential to hit plenty of big totals this season.
RR possible 11 for IPL 2026: Who will be the overseas players?
Riyan Parag will captain the team. Ravindra Jadeja provides all-round stability in the middle order. He and Ravi Bishnoi can form a strong spin duo throughout IPL 2026.
The key questions for RR are what Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma can deliver, plus whether Jofra Archer can stay fit for the season. Archer and Sandeep could be the key death-over options at different stages throughout the campaign, depending on who else RR pick for their bowling attack.
Also, assuming Archer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Shimron Hetmyer occupy three overseas slots, who should be the fourth? RR have the choice of all-rounders Dasun Shanaka (in for Sam Curran) and Donovan Ferreira, or go for a specialist fast bowler in Adam Milne, Nandre Burger or Kwena Maphaka.
RR kick off their season against Samson’s CSK at Guwahati on Monday March 30. In fact, the franchise will be their first three games at Barsapara Stadium before moving to Jaipur. It is a circumstance that R Ashwin sees as an issue.
“I thought their team got a slight upgrade when they got both Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. But they have a lot of things going for them, as well as not going for them. They have not been playing at one venue, and that is just not fair. I know Riyan Parag is the captain, and he will get Support in Assam, I understand all that, but if you want to play, play the entire season there only,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, as quoted by India TV News.
“I was the Kings XI Punjab (now renamed as Punjab Kings) captain when we had to play a few matches in Indore, and that is a huge factor, I know there is gate collection, and fan support. RR have a lovely brand and an an eco system, it is close to my heart because I enjoyed that team environment,” he added.
RR will then travel to Ahmedabad to take on Gujarat Titans on Saturday April 4.
Former South African cricketer and one of the top coaches in the cricket world, Gary Kirsten, opened up about his coaching stint with the Pakistan cricket team. Talking to the talkSPORT Cricket YouTube channel, he spoke about the challenges he faced as he aimed to implement his strategies and style.
Surprised with the level of interference in Pakistan cricket – Gary Kirsten
When asked about how he’ll look back at his six-month stint with the Pakistan cricket team, Kirsten said, “I’m the perennial career coach. So, I look at every coaching experience as a wonderful opportunity and a wonderful experience.
“There were frustrations along the way. I think the thing that surprised me probably more than anything was the level of interference. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it at that level before. Did it surprise me? I don’t know.”
Kirsten then spoke of the difficulty of working with the players and developing strategies without influence from outside. In light of his comments, it becomes even more clear as to why Pakistan struggle for consistency.
“But it was certainly significant,” Kirsten continued. “It’s quite difficult for a coach to formulate a way that you can work with the players when there’s just this constant noise from the outside. I think I really enjoyed working with the players.
“It was tough just with this constant noise from the outside and a lot of punitive actions around poor performance. As a coach, you’re the lowest-hanging fruit when the team’s not going well.”
Kirsten concluded by saying that actions like getting rid of the coach or putting a restriction on the coach are the easiest things when the team’s not performing, and they are counterproductive in his view.
“Then why recruit the coach? Recruit someone that you need to recruit that suits your needs rather than someone that is going to run the team how they see fit,” Kirsten said.
Gary Kirsten was appointed as Pakistan’s head coach in April 2024 under a 2-year contract, but he resigned from his position in October 2024 after disagreements with the PCB regarding interference in squad selection and other issues. In this period, Pakistan suffered a humiliating exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup.
🇵🇰 "The thing that surprised me was the level of interference."
🏏 "It's quite difficult for a coach to formulate a way of working with the players when there's the constant noise from the outside."
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) kick off their IPL 2026 title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. After clinching their maiden IPL title in 2025, RCB enters the new season with a strong core of retained players, smart auction additions, and some intriguing selection dilemmas.
Here is the predicted XII and a deep dive into the four major selection dilemmas.
RCB possible playing 11 for IPL 2026 (assuming Romario Shepherd is available):
Phil Salt (OS)
Virat Kohli
Devdutt Padikkal
Rajat Patidar
Tim David (OS)
Jitesh Sharma
Romario Shepherd (OS)
Krunal Pandya
Mangesh Yadav
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Jacob Duffy (OS)
Suyash Sharma
Key Selection Debates
Phil Salt vs. Jacob Bethell
Salt endured a poor T20 World Cup campaign, scoring just 130 runs across eight innings, crossing 30 or more only twice. Bethell, on the other hand, scored 280 runs in as many innings, with four 30+ scores, including a century against India in the semi-final.
However, this still shouldn’t really be a debate. Salt has been one of the world’s best T20 batters since 2022, scoring over5,500 runs at a strike rate of 157.02. Last season, he scored 403 runs for RCB at a strike rate of 175.98. In fact, among openers with at least 1000 IPL runs, no one has a higher strike rate than Phil Salt’s176.81. Very few players can take the game away in the Powerplay and maximise field restrictions the way Phil Salt does, and he should be the preferred pick.
Devdutt Padikkal vs. Venkatesh Iyer
RCB went as high as INR 23.50 crore for Venkatesh Iyer before KKR landed the winning bid last time. They’ve now brought him in for less than a third of that price (INR 7 crore), which clearly shows how highly they rate him.
Compared to Devdutt Padikkal, Venkatesh is probably the more robust player, especially against pace, and arguably has a higher ceiling.
However, form is on Padikkal’s side, and it’s hard to ignore what he did last season — scoring 247 runs at a strike rate of 150.6, playing impactful knocks at No. 3. His domestic run has been phenomenal as well: 543 runs at 54.3 in the Ranji Trophy, 725 runs at 90.63 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and 309 runs at a strike rate of 167.03 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Venkatesh, on the other hand, had significantly weaker tournaments, especially the SMAT, where he scored just 211 runs across 10 innings at a strike rate of 119.21.
Dropping Padikkal after such consistency would be harsh, so he edges it for the No. 3 spot.
Mangesh Yadav vs Yash Dayal
Yash Dayal hasn’t played any cricket since last season’s IPL and has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, with even his participation in the squad uncertain.
Purely from a cricketing standpoint, though, he was bowling key overs for RCB and is a smart, thinking bowler. He can swing the new ball both ways, has a back-of-the-hand slower one, and can also bowl yorkers at the death.
However, having played no cricket in a year, RCB might start with Mangesh Yadav, the Player of the Tournament in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League 2025, where he took 14 wickets in 6 innings at an economy of 8. He can also contribute with the bat, adding depth to the lineup.
He was bought by RCB for INR 5.2 crore and is highly rated by the team. He can bowl at 140 kph, move the new ball around, and execute yorkers at the death. In the MP T20 League, he made a strong impression as a yorker specialist. He can also operate on a back-of-a-length and has developed useful slower variations.
The other option is Rasikh Salam, but it’s unlikely RCB go that route given the management’s preference for having a left-armer in the XI.
Jacob Duffy vs. Nuwan Thushara (until Hazlewood joins)
Duffy hasn’t had a great year with the ball so far, taking just nine wickets in 10 T20Is and going at 10.77 an over. However, it’s important to note that all those games were played on Indian roads, where pacers collectively went at 10.36.
The pitch at Chinnaswamy for RCB’s first two games — before Hazlewood arrives — could be different, given the ground hasn’t hosted a game in a while. Much like last season, there could be that tennis-ball bounce from the 6-8 metre length that troubled batters. Duffy is better suited to exploit those conditions compared to Thushara and is a more like-for-like replacement for Hazlewood.
Moreover, it’s not as if Thushara has been in great form either. He hasn’t played since 7 January, when he went for 0/31 in 2 overs against Pakistan. He also comes with limitations — primarily being effective in the Powerplay and showing a clear drop-off against right-handed batters.
Nuwan Thushara in T20Is:
Batter Type
Wickets
Economy
Average
LHB
18
7.55
15.9
RHB
18
8.54
29.3
If Romario Shepherd is Unavailable
The lineup shifts slightly for balance:
Phil Salt (OS)
Virat Kohli
Devdutt Padikkal
Rajat Patidar
Jacob Bethell (OS)
Tim David (OS)
Jitesh Sharma
Krunal Pandya
Mangesh Yadav
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Jacob Duffy (OS)
Suyash Sharma
If Romario Shepherd doesn’t join the squad in time, RCB are likely to tweak their combination slightly by bringing in an extra middle-order batter in Jacob Bethell. Not to forget, he can also chip in with some left-arm spin if needed, so the depth of the XII isn’t compromised.
Blending last year’s title-winning core with exciting new additions, RCB are poised for another compelling campaign. The opener against SRH brings an added layer of intrigue: their relentless batting lineup, capable of game-altering onslaughts, meets a Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch revived after months away from competitive play.
The IPL 2026 auction will be remembered for the “Uncapped Gold Rush,” with teams breaking the bank for rising stars like Kartik and Veer. But amidst the frenzy to secure the hottest new talent, some crucial tactical needs were left unaddressed.
A closer inspection of the final rosters reveals that while most teams have a potent starting lineup, several are dangerously light on squad depth. From middle-order stabilisers to domestic power-hitters and mystery spinners, here are the top unsold players who could have been perfect fits for the holes left in the IPL 2026 squads.
Gujarat Titans (GT) did not buy a single middle or lower-order hitter and left the auction with the same vulnerability as last season: their middle order.
Kumar Kushagra has been in stellar form witg 368 runs in six innings (SR: 102.50) including two centuries in the 2026 Vijay Hazare Trophy, and 422 runs at an average of 60.29 with a strike rate of 161.69 in the 2025/26 SMAT. Also, an improved Washington Sundar might get a more consistent run at number four or five this season. However, the batting beyond the top three or four still lacks the confidence required for a genuine title charge.
Top unsold players in IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans squad depth.
It is also possible that Gujarat may play Jason Holder at No. 6. While Holder has improved — 63 sixes at a strike rate of 159.92 in T20s in 2025 compared to 29 sixes at a strike rate of 132.69 across 2023-24 — No. 6 still feels a spot too high for him. Jamie Smith could have fit neatly at No. 5/6, solidifying the batting spine, with Glenn Phillips remaining a strong backup option.
The Left-Handed Top-Order Options
Atharva Taide & Tushar Raheja
Atharva Taide (25y, LHB from Vidarbha) Stats: 153.54 SR in T20s since 2023
Kolkata Knight Riders enter the season with a heavily right-handed top five — and even their immediate backups follow the same pattern. Taide, who has quietly improved his T20 game over the last few years could have added much-needed variety.
Tushar Raheja (24y, LHB/WK from Tamil Nadu) Stats: 488 runs at 61/186 in TNPL 2025; 324 runs at 36/150 in TNPL 2024; 165 SR in SMAT
A reputed spin-hitter with wicketkeeping skills, he would have been an asset for KKR for the same reasons as Taide. His ability to take down spin (32 sixes in TNPL 2025) in the middle overs makes his unsold status surprising.
In a format where matchups dictate outcomes, the absence of a left-hander in KKR’s top order could hurt them. Taide or Raheja (or even Mahipal Lomror) may not be superstars, but they fit a clear tactical need.
One of the recurring themes of this auction was the lack of depth in Indian lower-middle-order options for teams like GT, KKR, and CSK.
Sanvir Singh (29y, RHB from Punjab): With 528 runs at a strike rate of 183 while batting lower down since 2022, Sanvir is a proven commodity and has previously been with SRH as well.
Ruchit Ahir (25y, RHB/WK from Saurashtra): With 333 runs at an average of 42 and a strike rate of 169 in his short T20 career so far, Ruchit also boasts the most sixes for Saurashtra across the last two seasons.
Salman Nizar (28y, LHB from Kerala): A poor SMAT 2025 ahead of the auction likely went against him, but Nizar had 169 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 164.08 in SMAT 2024 and also scored 751 runs at an average of 93.88 and a strike rate of 157.77 across the last two editions of the Kerala Cricket League.
Final Flourish 🔥
Salman Nizar smashes 6⃣,4⃣,6⃣,6⃣ in the last over and remains unbeaten on 99*(49) as Kerala post 234/5 👏#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Manisankar Murasingh (33y, LHB+RAP from Tripura): One of the most discussed names ahead of the auction, he offered a rare dual skill set: a lower-order hitter — 277 runs at an average of 46.17 and a strike rate of 172.04 in SMAT 2025, also the third-highest six-hitter after Abhishek and Mhatre. Plus, he has some right-arm pace (6 wickets at an economy rate of 7.6). It was somewhat surprising to see him go unsold.
GT have almost no lower-order backups. KKR’s Indian backups (Pandey, Sarthak Ranjan, and Tripathi) are all top-order batters; none are lower-order specialists, and none really serve as backups for Rinku or Ramandeep. CSK face a similar issue, with Urvil and Sarfaraz ideally being top-four backups, leaving them short on lower-order bench strength as well.
Any of the four players mentioned above would have provided cheap, effective insurance for these teams.
The Specialised Bowlers
Shivam Shukla & Money Grewal
Shivam Shukla (30y, mystery spinner from Madhya Pradesh) Stats: 25 wickets at 6.81 ECO in SMAT; 21 wickets in 11 innings in Madhya Pradesh Premier League
It was a little surprising to see a proven mystery spinner with strong performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Madhya Pradesh Premier League over the past couple of years go unsold, especially when several teams clearly required his services.
RCB opted for Satwik Deswal as a backup to Suyash Sharma — a choice they clearly saw merit in — but Shukla felt like the more proven option. GT lack a wrist-spin backup for Rashid Khan, LSG have no safety net behind Digvesh, who is entering only his second season, and DC rely entirely on Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj, with no wrist-spin backup in the squad. All three teams had an obvious opening for Shukla.
Money Grewal (25y, RAP from Delhi) Stats: 20 wickets (highest) at 7.81 ECO and 11 SR in Delhi Premier League 2025
Sunrisers Hyderabad needed a new-ball threat after releasing Mohammed Shami. While they picked prospects like Praful Hinge, Grewal’s recent dominance made him feel like a safer option. The leading wicket-taker in DPL 2025, Grewal swings the new ball, operates decently at the death, and has also served as RCB’s net bowler during IPL 2024.
Hat-trick magic from Money Grewal! 💥
Money Grewal cleans up East Delhi Riders with a fiery hat-trick! 🏏
Delhi Capitals made a rather perplexing move right at the end of the auction by picking Kyle Jamieson. With Dushmantha Chameera and Lungi Ngidi already in the squad, they had ample overseas pace backup.
What DC actually needed was a lower-order batter who could bowl a bit of spin. Michael Bracewell fit this profile perfectly. Instead of stacking up on a third overseas seamer as backup, Bracewell would have offered better balance and a genuine hitting option at No. 7.
Whether these omissions come back to haunt certain franchises will be revealed over the season — but on paper, these were opportunities left on the table.
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After a terrible start, New Zealand have come roaring back in this series, winning the last two T20Is easily. After beating South Africa by 68 runs in the second match, the Black Caps dished out another thumping in the third, winning by eight wickets and 22 balls to spare in Auckland.
The hosts will be without some key experience for this match with Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson only available for the opening three matches. However, it provides an opportunity for others to stake a claim for future honours, including the likes of Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly.
For the Proteas, whatever could go wrong did go wrong at Eden Park. Their raw batting lineup struggled batting first, before lacking penetration with the ball and putting chances down in the field. They need a stronger batting powerplay here to set a platform for the likes of Jason Smith and Dian Forrester, who are capable of delivering impactful knocks.
Tom Latham will lead and Katene Clarke is set to make his T20I debut.
New Zealand: 1. Tom Latham (c & wk), 2. Katene Clarke, 3. Tim Robinson, 4. Nick Kelly, 5. Bevon Jacobs, 6. James Neesham, 7. Cole McConchie, 8. Josh Clarkson/Nathan Smith, 9. Kyle Jamieson, 10. Ben Sears, 11. Jayden Lennox/Zak Foulkes
Ottneil Baartman could come back into the Proteas XI for this match.
South Africa: 1. Tony de Zorzi, 2. Wiaan Mulder, 3. Connor Esterhuizen (wk), 4. Rubin Hermann, 5. Jason Smith, 6. Dian Forrester, 7. George Linde, 8. Gerald Coetzee, 9. Keshav Maharaj (c), 10. Nqobani Mokoena, 11. Ottneil Baartman
Sky Stadium Wellington Pitch Report and Weather
Scores have varied in the last five T20Is at Wellington’s Sky Stadium. The average first innings score in men’s T20Is since the start of 2021 is 159, with two 200+ totals. The chasing team has won the last three matches.
A cold evening is forecast with a top of around 15 degrees. Very late season conditions in New Zealand means there could be assistance for the pace bowlers once again.
Fantasy Cricket Tips for NZ vs SA 4th T20 2026: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Top wicketkeeper picks:
Tom Latham is coming off a half-century and will be looking for another against an inexperienced South Africa attack.
Key batter picks:
Tim Robinson is yet to fire in this series (24 runs), although he looked in decent touch in the third T20I. Since the start of 2025, Robinson has scored 861 runs in all T20s at an average of 29.7 and strike rate of 140.5.
Top allrounder picks:
Fantasy points have been hard to come by in the South Africa team this series, so allrounders Wiaan Mulder and George Linde are the top picks. Mulder opens the batting and can contribute 1-2 overs, while Linde is South Africa’s most impactful batsman in the series (SR 180.64).
Cole McConchie has picked up 172 Dream11 points in this series. South Africa have a number of left-handers in their lineup that he can target again with his capable offspin.
Key bowler picks:
Ben Sears has picked up five wickets in the last two matches. His pace can trouble the inexperienced South African lineup once again, including Tony de Zorzi and Connor Esterhuizen, whom he has dismissed in this series.
Gerald Coetzee has bowled economically in this series, conceding just 5.90 an over. Coetzee could also be motivated to perform given there are spots opening up for fast bowlers in IPL teams.
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Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams
Katene Clarke has smashed 616 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of nearly 150 in the past two Super Smash seasons. One to watch.
Connor Esterhuizen is South Africa’s leading runscorer in this series with 68 at an average of 34.00. He will be looking to improve on his strike rate of 100, but he offers value for fantasy cricket as he bats in the top three.
Bevon Jacobs can be a handy pick if New Zealand bats first. Jacobs struck five consecutive fifties in the most recent Super Smash edition (overall: 361 runs, avg. 90.25, SR 164.84).
Ottneil Baartman could return in this game after a solid start to the series. He took the most wickets in the SA20 2026 season (20) at an average of 13.55 and strike rate of 8.90.
Dian Forrester is a player to watch, despite not getting going so far in the series. He scored 175 runs in SA20 2026 at an average of 58.33 and strike rate of 165.09.
Other Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 23, New Zealand 10, South Africa 13.
New Zealand have never won a bilateral T20I series of two or more matches against South Africa.
Tim Robinson is having a lean year in all T20s so far: 8 inns, 117 runs, avg. 14.6, SR 121.9.
Keshav Maharaj vs. Tom Latham in this series: 9 balls, 11 runs, 1 wicket.
Ben Sears vs. Connor Esterhuizen in this series: 14 balls, 8 runs, 1 wicket.
Connor Esterhuizen has had a better time against Kyle Jamieson: 19 balls, 30 runs, no wicket.
SA vs NZ 4th T20 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today Match
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Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.
Option 1:
SA vs NZ 4th T20 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today Match
Option 2:
SA vs NZ 4th T20 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today Match
SA vs NZ 4th T20 2026 Match Prediction – Who will win?
This shapes up as a close match with New Zealand missing a few experienced players as well. Despite that, New Zealand still have enough to get the job done here.
Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes for Dream11 free contests in line with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The stats and writer’s views are in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.
All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo, and Cricmetric.
