Picking a combined Texas Super Kings-Seattle Orcas playing 11 for MLC 2024 ft. Faf du Plessis and Heinrich KlaasenÂ
The final league fixture of the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) will witness the Texas Super Kings (TSK) take on the Seattle Orcas (SOR). The contest is a dead rubber to a degree with TSK having sealed a place in the Eliminator clash, while SOR have also officially finished at the bottom of the table.
Despite their fate being sealed, both sides would love to end the league stage on a high. TSK will look for some momentum ahead of the high-octane Eliminator clash against the MI New York, especially having lost to the Washington Freedom by a significant margin.
The Seattle Orcas, on the other hand, have to play for their pride. Following a successful maiden season in 2023 where they finished as runner-ups, the franchise could only compile a single win this time around and are currently on a four-game losing streak.
Even though it has not been a very memorable season for both sides, particularly the Seattle Orcas, there have been some standout individual performers from both sides. On that note, let us take a look at a combined Texas Super Kings-Seattle Orcas playing 11 for MLC 2024.
Top order: Faf du Plessis, Ryan Rickleton, and Quinton de Kock
TSK skipper Faf du Plessis is the leading scorer of the tournament so far with 264 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 166.03. He recorded a stunning hundred against the Washington Freedom and has scored consecutive fifties in his last two appearances against the MI New York and the reverse fixture against the Washington Freedom.
After a prolific SA20 2024 campaign where he ended up as the leading run scorer, Rickleton has carried the same form into the MLC as well. He was part of the South Africa squad that finished runner-ups in the 2024 T20 World Cup but failed to avail a single chance in the playing XI. In the ongoing season, he has accumulated 225 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 149.
Quinton de Kock has donned the role at No.3 with the Seattle Orcas, and he has done a decent job of it. The left-handed wicket-keeper batter has scored 144 runs in six outings at a strike rate of 123.07.
Middle Order: Heinrich Klaasen, Marcus Stoinis, and Calvin Savage
The Seattle Orcas skipper had memorable IPL and T20 World Cup campaigns, despite ending up as runner-ups in both. However, his momentum seems to have run its course for the momentum as he had a mediocre MLC 2024 season. He has only scored 93 runs in six matches, including one fifty. However, he still remains one of the best batters in the format, and remains a threat for the opposition.
Stoinis came into the MLC on the back of a brilliant 2024 T20 World Cup for Australia. The all-rounder has been decent with the bat and expensive with the ball but has been among the wickets in a very short time.
Calvin Savage has been a handy player for TSK in the lower middle order. He has scored 75 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 153, including a quick-fire 35 in TSK's most recent outing.
Lower Order: Imad Wasim, Dwayne Bravo, Cameron Gannon, Zia-ul-Haq, and Harmeet Singh
Cameron Gannon is among the leading wicket-takers in the tournament with 10 wickets in six matches. The pacer is the joint second-highest wicket-taker along with Rashid Khan. Although his economy is a bit on the higher side, he is an able spearhead to the bowling attack.
The TSK pace bowling duo of Dwayne Bravo and Zia-ul-Haq are valuable additions to the attack to bring balance and variety. Zia-ul-Haq is the joint-highest wicket-taker for TSK with six scalps. while the veteran Bravo has picked up four wickets in four matches, with an economy of 8.36 while bowling the tough overs.
The spin attack of Imad Wasim and Harmeet Singh has been difficult for the batters to deal with considering their varied skill set. The left-arm finger spinners have picked up a combined total of 12 wickets, with their average economy reading just 7.10.