IPL 2018: Fantasy tips for Game 1, MI vs CSK
With every season of IPL comes another season of IPL fantasy, and this year is no different. Each team has quite a few superstars, making it very difficult to select a virtual team. For example, people would be scratching their heads trying to choose between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
To help you overcome all such situations, I present my analysis which you can use to select your team. The first match in contention is Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, and there's plenty to think about with star players like Shane Watson, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma in the fray.
Fantasy factors for Mumbai Indians
The Mumbai Indians' playing XI is very predictable barring a couple of slots. Let's start with the openers, Evin Lewis and Ishan Kishan. Both are aggressive batsmen and in good form presently. The Wankhede Stadium is very small in size and both these players can hit sixes with ease. Due to these factors they are a must in the fantasy team.
Rohit Sharma will likely come in at No. 3 for the Mumbai Indians. I would advise you to not have him in the team because of his weaknesses against spinners (strike rate of 92 against spinners in IPL 2017). CSK have Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma and Harbhajan in the team, and in additon to that they have Dwayne Bravo who bowls pretty much like a spinner.
The rest of the batsmen in the line-up are pretty much hit or miss, and so they shouldn't be a part of your fantasy team for the first few matches. The Pandya brothers don't make the cut due to their poor form in the recent past.
I would suggest having Rahul Chahar in the fantasy team ahead of Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Mustafizur due to one reason: familiarity. Most of the batsmen in CSK have played the fast bowling trio, but they are yet to face Chahar's bowling and will take time to understand his bowling. He might have already picked up a wicket or two by the time they've figured him out.
Fantasy factors for Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings' playing XI isn't as predictable as the Mumbai Indians'. CSK have a lot of batsmen who can open the innings and it is very difficult to predict an opening combination. They might go with Faf du Plessis and Watson but Du Plessis has sustained a minor injury and if he doesn't play, they could go in with either Murali Vijay or Sam Billings.
Watson will definitely play in the Chennai Super Kings' starting line up, especially considering the Wankhede stadium's dimensions. He was sensational with both the bat and ball in the Pakistan Super League, and that run of good form should ensure that he is in your fantasy team.
Suresh Raina walks himself into the team. He hasn't been in great form of late but he is a proven match-winner in the IPL.
The middle order comprising of MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav and Ambati Rayudu isn't very dependable, so I would advise you to keep them all out of the team for now. The all-rounders Bravo and Jadeja have just recovered from injuries, so they might not be very productive either.
The bowlers aren't in good form and might not be very smart picks.
Power player
Raina should be your pick here. ('Power player' or 'Captain' is what the chosen player is referred to in the fantasy leagues - the player who scores double the points).
Note: Don't miss the toss, as that will give you a confirmation on the playing XI's.