ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Fantasy: Best Fantasy XI for Set 8 | T20 World Cup Fantasy Tips
The eighth set of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Fantasy begins with the all-important Super 8 clash between South Africa and the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, on Sunday, June 23.
Set 7 was great, with most of my selections from the IND-BAN game delivering returns. Despite a few blanks after that, I still finished with a solid score at the end of the set.
Total Points: 5397
Global Rank: 25.
This is the final Set of the Super 8s, with only the semi-finals and the final to follow. On that note, let's now look at the Best Fantasy XI for Set 8.
Transfer Deadline: 06:00 AM (IST) on Monday, June 24, and 08:30 PM (local) on Sunday.
Best Fantasy XI for Set 8 - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Fantasy 2024
Wicketkeepers: Nicholas Pooran (WI) ($10) vs SA.
Batters: Travis Head (AUS) ($9.5) vs IND, Virat Kohli (IND) ($10.5) vs AUS, and Reeza Hendricks (SA) ($8) vs WI.
All-rounders: Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) ($8.5) vs AFG and Roston Chase (WI) ($10.5) vs SA.
Bowlers: Naveen-ul-Haq (AFG) ($7.5) vs BAN, Rashid Khan (AFG) ($10 vs BAN, Rishad Hossain (BAN) ($6.5) vs AFG, Tanzim Hasan Sakib (BAN) ($6.5) vs AFG, and Ottneil Baartman (SA) ($6.5) vs WI.
Booster Used: None.
Set Preview
I'm more concerned about how much the three matches will be affected by rain than my actual selections for Set 8. The news that India's St. Lucia clash against Australia could be affected heavily by rain isn't great from a Fantasy perspective.
The other two fixtures, WI-SA and BAN-AFG, at Antigua and St. Vincent, respectively, have a more positive forecast, although the odd shower can't be ruled out. The USA and England don't have a fixture in this round, with the latter qualifying for the semi-finals.
Team Selection
I have gone with a fairly differential team for this Set, bolstered by the dividends reaped in the previous round, and the general uncertainty prevailing around team selections at this time, with all three matches must-win clashes for all parties involved.
I'm limiting my selections from the IND-AUS game to just two, and I'm backing the reliable openers Virat Kohli and Travis Head to make the most of the potentially limited time at the crease on what should be a good ground to bat on.
In the SA-WI clash, I'm counting on Ottneil Baartman to bounce back from a tough last over against England and deliver a few breakthroughs in conditions conducive to his style of bowling. Roston Chase is another player with a decent record against SA, although I am also considering Andre Russell instead of him.
I'm opting to ignore Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen in favor of Reeza Hendricks. The Proteas opener has struggled a lot this tournament, but he has a good record against the West Indies, and in a must-win game, it feels like a player of his caliber is due a big score. Nicholas Pooran is a fairly easy pick for the wicketkeepers' slot.
The clash between Afghanistan and Bangladesh at St. Vincent is likely to be between the bowlers than the batters, and I've gone in heavy on them, picking two each from the teams. Rashid Khan, Rishad Hossain, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib have been impressive all tournament, and there's little to explain about their inclusions.
I have opted to select Naveen-ul-Haq over Fazalhaq Farooqi, and while there isn't much to back up that decision statistically, Naveen taking up the new ball does make him more threatening than usual. Lastly, Shakib Al Hasan has a stellar record against Bangladesh, especially with the ball, and if Bangladesh wants to make their slim chances of making the playoffs a reality, Shakib will be key.
Captaincy: Shakib's all-round abilities make him one of the frontrunners for captaincy, with Chase/Russell, Rashid Khan, and Rishad Hossain the other picks I'm considering.