India vs Australia 2020: 3 players who could be valuable picks in your fantasy playing XI
India will take on Australia in a three-match ODI series starting on January 14, 2020. The series might be short, with only three games, but the outcome will be highly scrutinized. The reason is the fact that Australia is the only team to beat India in India in an ODI series since 2016.
It was in that series the resurgence of the Australian team started after the ball-tampering fiasco. While the visitors would want to repeat it, Virat Kohli will be eager enough to correct one of his rare failures as captain.
India will continue to test their lower-middle order which is inexperienced. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Kedar Jadhav, and Ravindra Jadeja might want to cement their places in the team with some impressive performances. The team management would be hoping for the same if not others like Manish Pandey and Sanju Samson might get a go for the New Zealand tour.
The series is littered with many stars, and here are three valuable picks whom you should have in your fantasy cricket team.
#1 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma had a stunning year in 2019 with runs in every format. Especially in ODIs, he was the leading run-scorer with 1490 runs including seven centuries. Five of those hundreds came in the ICC Cricket World Cup in which his form helped India top the points table at the end of the league stage.
Also see - India Australia head to head
The Mumbai batsman will be happy to start 2020 against Australia. The right-hander has done well against them consistently with some huge hundreds at the top of the order. With one opener slot being a toss-up between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, Sharma's form will provide some stability to the top order.
With matches scheduled at venues which are traditionally batsmen-friendly, the 32-year-old will be key to India posting and chasing big totals. His class makes him a definite pick in everyone's squad. He will score big runs for India and points for your team.
#2 Alex Carey
Alex Carey's career has been on an ascending trend from the day he made his debut for Australia. After being a successful opener for Adelaide Strikers in their title triumph Big Bash season of 2017, Carey was drafted into the limited-overs set-up. There he made a name for himself batting in the lower-middle order.
His composure was evident in the number of rescue acts he has done in his short career. In the 2019 World Cup, his knocks against West Indies (45) and New Zealand (71) helped his side recover from 79-5 & 92-5 respectively. But, it was the series against India in 2019 he showed his potential, which ensured his World Cup spot.
The ability to score by rotating the strike against spinners with ease and to quickly in the death overs against pacers highlights his versatility. The Australian vice-captain will be a valuable pick in your fantasy side.
#3 David Warner
David Warner's explosive batting has silenced many bowling attacks. He will be looking to do the same against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. Warner has been a phenomenal white-ball player in the last year since he came back from his sandpaper-gate induced ban.
Doubts were raised about his effectiveness when he came back. But he silenced the critics by winning the orange cap in the IPL. He continued his form in the World Cup with 647 runs, which included six 50+ scores. These two tournaments saw him in a new role, where he not only attacked the bowlers but also anchored the innings.
The perfect example is his recent triple century against Pakistan. He mixed caution with aggression, which helped him to maximise his scores by reducing the risks. The southpaw will be a huge threat to Virat Kohli's men in the series. Given the form he is in, he should take a place in your side.
Also read: India vs Australia 2020 | Virat Kohli vs Steve Smith (Who will win the battle this time?)