SUP v VEL Dream11 Prediction (Women's IPL 2020): 3 players you can pick as captain or vice-captain for today's match
The opening clash of the Women's T20 Challenge 2020, also known as the Women's IPL, will see defending champions Supernovas take on Mithali Raj's Velocity at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The same two teams met in last year's final, a match that will be remembered for Harmanpreet Kaur's half-century that helped the Supernovas chase down a 122-run target off the final delivery.
This year, the Women's IPL will commence parallelly with the Women's Big Bash League taking place thousands of miles away in Australia, but that's not to take anything away from the big names taking part in this year's competition.
While the Supernovas will be boosted with the presence of skipper Kaur, youngsters Jemimah Rodrigues and Poonam Yadav, the Velocity squad boasts of some big-hitters such as teenage sensation Shafali Verma, Karnataka all-rounder Veda Krishnamurthy and England opener, Danielle Wyatt.
With some big names set to step on to the field for both sides today, here are a few players you can pick as the captain or vice-captain of your SUP v VEL Dream11 team.
1. Shafali Verma (Velocity)
One of Indian cricket's brightest talents, Shafali Verma has made the opening position her own since her Indian team debut in September 2019. In 19 T20Is, Shafali has 487 runs at a strike rate of 146.24, and courtesy of her consistent show, she was handed a spot in the Indian team for the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup.
The 16-year-old opener finished as India's highest-run scorer at the World Cup with 163 runs from five matches at a strike rate of 158.25, underlining her tremendous talent at such a young age.
With Shafali capable of putting the opposition bowlers under pressure right from the first ball, she could be a vital pick for multiplier points as part of your SUP v VEL Dream11 team.
2. Jemimah Rodrigues (Supernovas)
Another youngster who has cemented her spot in the Indian team, Jemimah Rodrigues' classy approach mixed with the right amount of aggression makes her an integral part of the Supernovas unit in this Women's IPL 2020.
What's more, with the Supernovas lacking depth in batting resources in the lower middle order, Jemimah's role at the crucial No.3 position will need her to shoulder more responsibilities.
Jemimah's 48-ball 77* was one of the biggest contributions to the Supernovas' push for a spot in the final of the 2019 Women's IPL, and with the 20-year-old capable of playing anchor and switching into fifth gear easily, she could be an important option for multiplier points in your SUP v VEL Dream11 team.
3. Poonam Yadav (Supernovas)
One of the biggest success stories for India at the end of the 2020 Women's World Cup was leg-spinner Poonam Yadav's form, with the 29-year-old Agra-born leg-spinner scalping 10 wickets from just five matches at an economy rate of just a shade under 6 RPO.
Considering the recent nature of the surface being used in Sharjah, Poonam's ability to spin the ball both ways could be a game-changer. From a total of 67 T20Is, Poonam has picked up 95 wickets and interestingly, she has not gone wicketless for the last eight matches she's featured in.
Further, Velocity's rather fragile middle order might find it hard to negotiate Poonam's bag of tricks, and as a result, all eyes will be on Poonam as she could be among the most selected players for the SUP v VEL Dream11 team.