IPL 2023 Fantasy League: Best Fantasy XI for Match 18 - PBKS vs GT | IPL Fantasy Tips
The Punjab Kings take on the Gujarat Titans in the 18th match of IPL 2023 on Thursday, April 13, at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
I went for Moeen Ali and Tushar Deshpande over Mahesh Theekshana and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and that move did fetch me quite a few points.
Players playing in Match 17: Yuzvendra Chahal (BOWL) (RR) (9.5 Credits), Jos Buttler (WK) (RR) (11 Credits), Ruturaj Gaikwad (BAT) (CSK) (9.5 Credits), Moeen Ali (ALL) (CSK) (9.5 Credits), and Tushar Deshpande (BOWL) (CSK) (7 Credits).
Captain: Moeen Ali | Vice-captain: Jos Buttler.
Credits Remaining: 1.
Total Points: 5,270.
Overall Rank: 59,185
POTM Picks: 6/17.
I have two players from this fixture so far and will make two regular and one uncapped transfer.
Transfer Deadline: 7:30 PM IST, Thursday, April 13.
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: 2 | Transfers Remaining: 108.
1) Ruturaj Gaikwad (BAT) (CSK) (9.5 Credits) - OUT | Shikhar Dhawan (BAT) (PBKS) (9.5 Credits) - IN
2) Moeen Ali (ALL) (CSK) (9.5 Credits) - OUT | Sam Curran (ALL) (PBKS) (9.5 Credits) - IN.
3) Tushar Deshpande (BOWL) (CSK) (7 Credits) - OUT | Sai Sudharsan (BAT) (GT) (7 Credits) - IN. (Uncapped Transfer).
I'm once again faced with a form vs fixture conundrum, and this time, it's for the PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Going ahead with Ruturaj Gaikwad against RR wasn't the right move, but that doesn't make ignoring Dhawan a good call either. He has a poor record against Rashid Khan, whose confidence must be sky-high after his hat trick in the last game.
However, if it's only the one bowler he has a problem against, surely Dhawan can play him out like how he masterfully handled the SRH bowlers while batting with a tail-ender.
As for the second regular transfer, it's Sam Curran. I feel like I'm backing the all-rounder to the hilt, and to his credit, he has a solid record at this venue, both with the bat and the ball. The ₹18.5 crore buy has at least two to three POTM-winning performances in him, and I intend to have him on my team when he produces those.
For the uncapped pick, I'm backing GT batter Sai Sudharsan to carry on his impressive run of form. The elegant left-hander has batted intelligently, with his strong back-foot game and intent against spinners earning him plenty of plaudits. I'm backing him to score more runs on a good wicket.
IPL Fantasy 2023 - Best Fantasy XI for Match 18 - PBKS vs GT: Thoughts and Captaincy Tips
Players playing in Match 18: Prabhsimran Singh (BAT) (PBKS) (6.5 Credits), Sam Curran (ALL) (PBKS) (9.5 Credits), Shikhar Dhawan (BAT) (PBKS) (9.5 Credits), Sai Sudharsan (BAT) (GT) (7 Credits), and Mohammed Shami (GT) (BOWL) (9 Credits).
I'm excluding the uncapped players from the captaincy debate despite both of them having half-centuries to their name this season. It's between Dhawan, Shami, and Sam Curran, and I might well give Curran another go as my captain, having already done so thrice.
I do have my reservations about Dhawan and don't think he'll survive Rashid Khan's spell, and as a result, I am hesitant to give him the captaincy even if I do pick him.
Other players
Shardul Thakur (BOWL) (KKR) (8.5 Credits) | Next Fixture: vs SRH, Match 19
Faf Du Plessis (BAT) (RCB) (9.5 Credits) | Next Fixture: vs DC, Match 20.
David Warner (BAT) (DC) (10 Credits) | Next Fixture: vs RCB, Match 20.
Axar Patel (ALL) (DC) (9 Credits) | Next Fixture: vs RCB, Match 20.
Yuzvendra Chahal (BOWL) (RR) (9.5 Credits) | Next Fixture: vs GT, Match 23.
Jos Buttler (WK) (RR) (11 Credits) | Next Fixture: vs GT, Match 23.