NED vs SL Dream11 prediction: 3 differentials you can pick in today’s World Cup 2023 match – 21st Oct, 2023
The Netherlands take on Sri Lanka 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.
This match has a 10:30 AM IST start and is the first of a doubleheader, with South Africa and England set to clash at the Wankhede Stadium later in the day.
Interestingly, it's the Netherlands who have a win to their name at this point and not Sri Lanka. Scott Edwards' side produced a spirited performance to stun the Proteas. Sri Lanka put Australia under a lot of pressure in their last match batting first before crumbling to a heap.
This is a match Sri Lanka would've expected to win prior to the start of the tournament, but on current form, the Netherlands are equally in this.
In what should no doubt be a close contest, let's look at the best Dream11 differentials.
#3 Lahiru Kumara (SL)
Sri Lankan seamer Lahiru Kumara replaced Matheesha Pathirana in Sri Lanka's playing XI for their match against Australia. But he couldn't quite find his line and length against the Aussies even while his new ball partner, Dilshan Madushanka, bowled a beautiful spell.
Sri Lanka will want Kumara to compliment the in-form Madushanka with the ball during the powerplay and restrict the Dutch openers and get off to a good start with the ball.
Kumara is a pacy and skiddy bowler who can extract bounce and movement from the wicket, and a surface like the one in Lucknow does suit his style of bowling.
While all the focus may be on Madushanka or Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara could prove to be a surprise threat with the ball for Sri Lanka and a quality Dream11 differential.
#2 Max O'Dowd (NED)
Netherlands opener Max O'Dowd will be crucial to their chances of winning this match. He hasn't fired in this tournament yet, with low scores in all of the matches so far.
He does have a solid ODI record and plenty of experience to go with it, and like always, opening batters from any side in ODI cricket always have a high ceiling for points.
With Dilshan Madushanka in good form, picking an out-of-form batter like O'Dowd is admittedly a risk. But it could also prove to be a highly rewarding one for a Dream11 player willing to take a punt.
#1 Dhananjaya de Silva (SL)
Dhananjaya de Silva deserves to be batting higher up the order. But the emergence of equally good batters like Sadeera Samrawickrama and Charith Asalanka have meant that he has been pushed down to No. 6. So far, he hasn't delivered with bat or ball at this World Cup.
However, the fact remains that he's Sri Lanka's crisis man and arguably their most reliable player, and it's unlikely he will remain quiet for too long. They're without a win and there's a good chance that DDS leads them to their first win of the tournament.
He will be boosted by the fact that he top-scored for Sri Lanka in these two sides' crucial clash at the World Cup Qualifiers, scoring 93 and winning the POTM award. His ownership is naturally low after a couple of sub-par performances, but he's the safest and the best differential pick you can choose from this fixture.