Moneyball9 Fantasy Tips: Qualifier 1 - Gujarat Lions vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
No fantasy game is won without even a slightest bit of gamble. Keeping that in mind, you will have to take some big calls for the first qualifier of the 2016 IPL between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions. It’s simple, you just cannot have every single superstar in your side. You won’t be given endless cash. You have to pick and choose a few and ignore a few hoping that your picks deliver big time. Here’s an analysis of the players involved in the big game:
Batsmen:
Law of averages just do not apply to Virat Kohli. He keeps scoring no matter what. And with this being a big game, expect him to deliver with the bat yet again. Also, he has scored centuries against this side in both the matches this tournament, that’s an added incentive. So no second thoughts, pick this superstar!
And then you have Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch and Dwayne Smith to choose from. Do not forget Suresh Raina as well as should be another player who is to be picked for sure considering the fact that he has rediscovered his mojo yet again and these short boundaries at the Chinnaswamy will only make it easier for him to score. Aaron Finch was promoted as an opener in the last game and if he continues to bat there, he is another superstar who should ideally make the cut as he can make merry in these perfect batting conditions.
So does that mean there is no place for Chris Gayle? Unfortunately you cannot pick him if you are picking both Raina and Kohli. Gayle costs you 10,000 bucks and even though he can cause some serious damage, expect one among Praveen Kumar, Dwayne Bravo and Dhawal Kulkarni to dismiss him cheaply.
If Finch isn’t listed as an opener, you can go for Brendon McCullum who will cost you 8500 bucks. Dwayne Smith can be picked as the flexible option as his form suggests that he is a must-have in the line-up.
Wicket-keeper batsman:
Here’s another shocker! AB de Villiers cannot be picked in this side if you are already going in with some heavyweights. The user has to make his/her mind up regarding de Villiers. If you go for Raina, then say no to de Villiers. Remember, the Lions will be determined to do well this time after the bashing they received the last time. Raina could be extra motivated and after what de Villiers did last time in that same game, one would expect the Lions bowlers to come up with a better plan. You will have to go by that instinct while picking players for this game.
That will leave us with two options, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik and considering Rahul’s form and the fact that he costs little, you can go for him. But if you think dropping AB is a huge risk to take, then you should ideally drop Raina and look to accommodate the South African.
All-rounder:
This is another area where you cannot go with an established star like Shane Watson or Dwayne Bravo considering their price tag. This is the beauty of the fantasy. You just cannot have them all. There is no fun if you can do that. So in this case, considering the fact that Stuart Binny will be playing in his home, he can prove to be an ideal option since he costs only 5000 rupees. He can provide some lusty blows in the end and can trouble the openers with the new ball under the lights. Picking a spinner like Ravindra Jadeja on this venue is a huge risk as he can go for plenty.
Bowlers:
Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni are expected to put up a much better show with the ball but considering their recent form at home, the users should ideally opt for the RCB bowlers to fill up these three spots. The purple cap holder Yuzvendra Chahal being one of the options, you can also go for Chris Jordan who has improved in the last few outings. Remember, he was also amongst the wickets against the Lions in that game almost a fortnight ago.
Sreenath Aravind has proved to be RCB’s best Indian seam bowler as he has regularly bowled well with the new ball. His contest against the Lions top order should be an interesting one. He will cost you only 4500 rupees and hence can be picked.
My ideal team: Virat Kohli, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Smith, KL Rahul, Stuart Binny, Yuzvendra Chahal, Chris Jordan and Sreenath Aravind.
DISCLAIMER: The article just contains suggestions and Sportskeeda are not responsible or liable for the outcome.