2023 World Cup Fantasy League: Best Fantasy XI for Match 23 - SA vs BAN - 24 Oct, 2023 | World Cup Fantasy Tips
South Africa (SA) take on Bangladesh (BAN) in the 23rd match of the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup on Tuesday, October 24, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Players playing in Match 22: Babar Azam (BAT) (PAK), Haris Rauf (BOWL) (PAK), Rashid Khan (BOWL) (AFG), Naveen-ul-Haq (BOWL) (AFG), Usama Mir (BOWL) (PAK), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (BOWL) (AFG), Shaheen Afridi (BOWL) (PAK).
Booster Played: Power Bowler
Captain: Rashid Khan | Vice-captain: Shaheen Afridi
Total Points: 9,674.
That Power Bowler booster in the PAK-AFG has got to be the worst booster I've played in any Fantasy cricket tournament. It's because Afghanistan inexplicably produced a batting masterclass in arguably the most challenging venue to bat on, and in a match where I expected around 18-20 wickets to fall, but only nine did.
Also, when was the last time both Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman went wicketless in the exact match, that too on a track made for spinners? Well, cricket is a funny game, and unfortunately, the joke was also on me as the Afghan batters put on a show, and so did Noor Ahmad, who handled the pressure of a World Cup debut remarkably well, much to my surprise.
Anyway, I have no choice but to move on and try to pick the right players in the next match, for which I plan to make three transfers.
Transfer Deadline: 02:00 pm IST, Tuesday, October 24.
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: 71
1) Mujeeb Ur Rahman (BOWL) (AFG) - OUT | Rassie van der Dussen (BAT) (SA) - IN
2) Rashid Khan (BOWL) (AFG) - OUT | Kagiso Rabada (BOWL) (SA) - IN
3) Naveen-ul-Haq (BOWL) (AFG) - OUT | Shakib Al Hasan (ALL) (BAN) - IN
The South African batters must already love this Wankhede wicket, and those who missed out on the fun against England will be keen to make up for it against Bangladesh.
Rassie van der Dussen stitched a useful second-wicket partnership with Reeza Hendricks, but fell before he could convert his half-century into a bigger score. He's one of the most consistent batters in that side, and if he can combat the spin threat of Shakib, he's well en route to a hundred in this match.
Rabada has a tremendous ODI record and can be likened to Mitchell Starc when it comes to his rate of picking up wickets. He's the most bankable South African bowler right now, although it's also tempting to go for Marco Jansen.
Lastly, I'm hoping Shakib passes his fitness test for this match, as this match will be a damp squib otherwise. He starred with the bat in Bangladesh's win over South Africa in the 2019 World Cup, and his left-arm spin can trouble many batters in the Proteas' top order.
With Afghanistan's next match eight games away, their three players are the first to leave the team, but the likes of Usama Mir should soon exit the team too.
2023 World Cup Fantasy - Best Fantasy XI for Match 23 -
SA vs BAN: Thoughts and Captaincy Tips
Players playing in Match 23: Quinton de Kock (WK) (SA), Rassie van der Dussen (BAT) (SA), Kagiso Rabada (BOWL) (SA), and Shakib Al Hasan (ALL) (BAN).
If Shakib is declared fit, he will be one of the contenders for captaincy, but the sheer power of the SA batters can't be ignored. De Kock averages around 50 against Bangladesh, and after missing out on plenty of runs against England, he will want to make up for it in this match. However, the threat of Mehidy Hasan or Mahedi Hasan against him looms large.
Van der Dussen is a reliable batting option, while Rabada is the same with the ball. This won't be an easy captaincy decision, that's for sure.
Other players
Virat Kohli (BAT) (IND) | Next Fixture: vs ENG, Match 29
Rachin Ravindra (ALL) (NZ) | Next Fixture: vs AUS, Match 27
Babar Azam (BAT) (PAK) | Next Fixture: vs SA, Match 26
Joe Root (BAT) (ENG) | Next Fixture: vs SL, Match 25
Haris Rauf (BOWL) (PAK) | Next Fixture: vs SA, Match 26
Usama Mir (BOWL) (PAK) | Next Fixture: vs SA, Match 26
Shaheen Afridi (BOWL) (PAK) | Next Fixture: vs SA, Match 26