IPL 2014: Fantasy Guru - Go for Glory
Guru’s team after the RCB vs. RR match
If you think that you have started a little too late for the official IPL Fantasy League 2014, you can always play this alternative version of fantasy cricket where you can win cash prizes daily - SportskeedaFantasyLeague. The next round has two matches featuring four teams: Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
In this type of fantasy cricket, while assembling your playing 11 for the two matches, make sure you don’t miss out on players like Pravin Tambe, Karn Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Ben Hilfenhaus and Karun Nair who could prove to be the differential at a comparatively lower rate. While you can play for free, if you choose to play with an entry fee to Rs 35, you can win Rs 300. You can pay upto Rs 1,150 and win Rs 10,000 in cash for every round.
Disclaimer: The article doesn’t account for Bailey blunders (in general, the captaincy abilities these days). Although the Fantasy Guru takes into account the captaincy skills of the captains in concern, they continue to scale higher levels of ridiculousness, which necessitates the need for the disclaimer.
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Mumbai Indians:
Guru’s team for the SRH vs. MI match
Transfers made – 1; Transfers remaining – 30
Virat Kohli out – Lasith Malinga in
Sandeep Sharma out – Karn Sharma in
Captain – Lasith Malinga
If the last season matches at the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad, are anything to go by, this one should be a low-scoring affair, dominated by spin bowlers. Therefore, I don’t see the need for the inclusion of any batsman from both the franchises. With Rohit Sharma and Praveen Kumar already a part of my 11, the other players who could get good points include Amit Mishra, Karan Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Lasith Malinga. Dale Steyn and the Kumars’ success largely depend on whether or not they will be able to find the swing with the new ball upfront. If they don’t, it comes down to how well they bowl at the death, one aspect where Praveen Kumar falls short in comparison to the other two.
Ambati Rayudu’s ability to play spinners can come in handy for Mumbai, while this is a great chance from Mishra to give something in return to Kieron Pollard who smashed him all around the park in their previous encounter at the United Arab Emirates.
With Sunrisers Hyderabad playing their next match at the same venue in a 4-match round, and 3-match rounds being extremely rare from now on, Mishra stands out as the best pick from the Sunrisers’ side. What concerns me, though, is the fact that in his last match he was repeatedly trying the googlies or the straighter ones instead of going for a conventional leg-spinner, which usually indicates the lack of confidence. If that is the case around, he will easily be negotiated by Rohit and Rayudu. But in the event of him getting his stock delivery going, Mumbai Indians’ are in a spot of bother.
I would have liked to take the risk and go in with him, but that calls for a major change in the team combination, which I don’t think is quite necessary. If you can get him in, do it.
The one big issue with picking Harbhajan is that he doesn’t bowl at the death, say someone like a Ravichandran Ashwin or Sunil Narine who do it match in match out, thereby reducing his chances to get wickets. With Mumbai’s next fixture being the one against Kolkata Knight Riders (a weak lower middle order), I choose to go in with Lasith Malinga, instead. While Bhajji should give decent returns, I would be happy if Malinga gives more over the course of two matches.
Shikhar Dhawan has been threatening to come good for sometime now, but I don’t see what good can happen by taking him in what is expected to be a low-scoring affair.
Uncapped player pick:
Karn Sharma is by far the best uncapped player pick for this match. While Aditya Tare bats very low, CM Gautam should find it difficult to get going against the quality on offer from the opposition bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah will hardly get any assistance from the deck.