2023 World Cup Fantasy League: Best Fantasy XI for Match 19 - NED vs SL - 21 Oct, 2023 | World Cup Fantasy Tips
The Netherlands and Sri Lanka face off in the 19th match of the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup on Saturday, October 21, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
It's the first match of a Saturday doubleheader, with England and South Africa meeting later in the day.
Players playing in Match 18: David Warner (BAT) (AUS), Haris Rauf (BOWL) (PAK), Mitchell Starc (BOWL) (AUS), Babar Azam (BAT) (PAK), Glenn Maxwell (ALL) (AUS)
Captain: Glenn Maxwell. | Vice-captain: Babar Azam.
Total Points: 7,914.5
That was probably the unluckiest I've been in this edition of World Cup Fantasy, because there were points galore in this match. But barring David Warner and Haris Rauf (late addition) who actually had a horrific game, none of my players could pick up any point hauls. This was despite them being perfectly placed and set up for them.
Maxwell fell prey to an ungainly slog with the score at 252/1 and close to 18 overs to play and a beautiful track to bat on. He then had a catch dropped of his bowling. Babar Azam scored a fifty against India at Ahmedabad on a slightly tricky surface, but the World's No. 1 ODI batter couldn't cross the 20-run mark on this belter.
It was just one of those days, and I'm hoping this doubleheader helps me shrug it off and move on.
For this first match, Bas de Leede is the only player I own and I'll add a minimum of three players to the team.
Transfer Deadline: 10:30 am IST, Saturday, October 21.
Note: The suggested team is subject to change depending on the toss or other unexpected team news. Any such changes will be updated for the next match day.
Transfers
Transfers Made: 3 | Transfers Remaining: 84
1) David Warner (BAT) (AUS) - OUT | Logan van Beek (BOWL) (NED) - IN
2) Mitchell Starc (BOWL) (AUS) - OUT | Dilshan Madushanka (BOWL) (SL) - IN
3) Glenn Maxwell (ALL) (AUS) - OUT | Sadeera Samarawickrama (WK) (SL) - IN
The wicket at the Ekana Stadium has played out pretty evenly for both batters and bowlers, with Sri Lanka getting off to a flyer against Australia before they encountered a collapse.
Dilshan Madushanka received plenty of assistance from the wicket under lights, and reports suggest it's likely to remain the same for this match too.
Speaking of Madushanka, the left-arm seamer has been in a rich vein of form this year, and at the World Cup, with seven wickets in three games.
He's the first name in my team for this match, but I'm also intrigued by the prospect of picking Theekshana, who really troubled the Dutch batters at the World Cup Qualifiers earlier this year.
While they didn't have some of their first-choice batters then, a mystery spinner like him will surely cause problems for them.
Sadeera Samarawickrama is my batting pick from Sri Lanka, and there's not much to separate him from Kusal Mendis other than me going with my gut. He's had a good year with the bat and has made that No. 4 slot his own, and I'm hoping he can add to his hundred against Pakistan.
While I do think Sri Lanka are the favorites to win this match, by no means am I writing off the possibility of successive wins for the Netherlands. That's why I'm selecting their most influential player, Logan van Beek.
He embodies their spirit of 'Total Cricket' and always makes things happen with bat and ball, and is sure to be heavily involved in this match.
2023 World Cup Fantasy - Best Fantasy XI for Match 19 -
NED vs SL: Thoughts and Captaincy Tips
Players playing in Match 19: Bas de Leede (ALL) (NED), Sadeera Samarawickrama (WK) (SL), Dilshan Madushanka (BOWL) (SL), and Logan van Beek (BOWL) (NED).
Bas de Leede is the current captaincy favorite due to his all-round route to points. But the in-form Dilshan Madushanka and Logan van Beek are equally good bets, considering their wicket-taking ability.
Other players
Joe Root (BAT) (ENG) | Next Fixture: vs SA, Match 20
Quinton de Kock (WK) (SA) | Next Fixture: vs ENG, Match 20
Rachin Ravindra (ALL) (NZ) | Next Fixture: vs IND, Match 21
Babar Azam (BAT) (PAK) | Next Fixture: vs AFG, Match 22
Virat Kohli (BAT) (IND) | Next Fixture: vs NZ, Match 21
Jasprit Bumrah (BOWL) (IND) | Next Fixture: vs NZ, Match 21
Haris Rauf (BOWL) (PAK) | Next Fixture: vs AFG, Match 22