T20 World Cup Fantasy 2021: Best Fantasy XI for Matches 15 & 16, SL vs BAN - IND vs PAK | T20 WC Fantasy Tips
The Super 12 phase of the T20 World Cup 2021 continues with Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the first game of the day. However, all eyes will be on the much-awaited clash between India and Pakistan later in the day in Dubai. With the whole world bound to have its eye on this mouthwatering clash, a cracking day is in store, both on the field and in the fantasy cricket world.
The first double-header of the Super 12 was a subdued one with none of my differential picks making a big impact. A major reason for this shortcoming was the nature of the pitches, with only 250 runs being scored in 62.2 overs across two games. However, a better understanding of the pitch should help in judging my selections finer going forward.
As of now, I am light on players for this double-header with only Shakib Al Hasan and Haris Rauf in line to play on Sunday. However, that is what transfers are for! With teams not expected to play with a short turnaround, holding players might not be as important in the Super 12 phase as it was in Round 1. Without further delay, here are the tentative changes for this much-awaited all-Asian double-header in the T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday.
Deadline for Transfers: 3:30 PM IST (SL vs BAN) and 7:30 PM IST (IND vs PAK) on Sunday, October 24th
Note: The team suggested in the article isn't guaranteed to be the final selection. In case of any unexpected team news at the toss, players will have to make the required changes, which will then be updated in the article for the next match.
Best T20 World Cup 2021 Fantasy Team for Matches 15 & 16, SL vs BAN | IND vs PAK
Wicketkeeper: Jos Buttler (England, 10.5 credits) and Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka, 8.5 credits)
Batters: KL Rahul (India, 10.5 credits), Lendl Simmons (West Indies, 8.5 credits) and Aiden Markram (South Africa, 8 credits)
All-rounders: Dwayne Bravo (South Africa, 9 credits) and Shakib al Hasan (Bangladesh, 9.5 credits)
Bowlers: Mitchell Starc (Australia, 9.5 credits), Haris Rauf (Pakistan, 8.5 credits), Mustafizur Rahman (Sri Lanka, 9.5 credits) and Tymal Mills (England, 7.5 credits)
Remaining Credits: 0.5, Transfers Made: 4/75
Transfers: Kusal Perera, Mustafizur Rahman, KL Rahul (IN); Aaron Finch, Anrich Nortje, Jonny Bairstow (OUT)
Even though I've got a lot of transfers left to be made, only three are planned ahead of the first game. Out of the three transfers, two would be for Sri Lanka versus Bangladesh, with Kusal Perera and Mustafizur Rahman being brought in. A major reason as to why I am happy to have just three players for this game is the nature of the Sharjah pitch. However, I expect Wanindu Hasaranga to pick up a wicket or two as well, which may factor in while making an extra change at the time of the toss.
Kusal Perera and Shakib Al Hasan should provide runs in the top order with both of them doing well in their last T20 World Cup outing. While Shakib's all-round ability also factors in, Mustafizur's cutters and death-bowling skills should serve him well on a sluggish Sharjah surface.
The third and final change, KL Rahul, is a transfer made in advance to get my fantasy team ready for the big match between India and Pakistan. The talented opener has been in tremendous form over the last few games and should score at least 20-30 runs against Pakistan's fearsome trio of Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali. While I already have Rauf in my team, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammed Shami are my preferred transfers for the second game, with both being in good form. I will also look to add another India or Pakistan bowler depending on the toss.
Note: Transfers made to Match 16 will be updated in the next article and in the comments section as well.
Best T20 World Cup 2021 for Match 15 and 16 - Summary
Players Playing in Match 15: Shakib al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Kusal Perera
Players Playing in Match 16 (with tentative transfers): KL Rahul, Haris Rauf, Mohammed Shami, Fakhar Zaman, Jasprit Bumrah/Hasan Ali
Captaincy Picks
Captain and Vice-Captain Picks: Kusal Perera, Mustafizur Rahman (Both Match 15) - KL Rahul, Hasan Ali/Mohammed Shami (Both Match 16)
For the first game, Kusal Perera and Mustafizur Rahman are my preferred options for captaincy. Perera is Sri Lanka's best batter and can fare well against both pace and spin in Sharjah. Mustafizur Rahman, meanwhile, is expected to make up for his wicketless spell against Papua New Guinea with a better performance against Sri Lanka.
For the second game, I will be going with KL Rahul as the captain of my fantasy team for obvious reasons. Rahul has been in sublime form at the top of the order and has been scoring runs at a blistering strike-rate as well. With Rahul being given the license to go all-out at the top of the order, he is bound to be a popular captaincy pick for this game.
As for my second option, I will be preferring a bowler, most likely to be Hasan Ali. Ali has been a star performer for Pakistan in recent months with his relentless accuracy and subtle variations serving him well. If Pakistan were to bat first, one can even expect Hasan to get a promotion in the batting order, owing to his undeniably good pinch-hitting ability.