T20 World Cup Fantasy 2021: Best Fantasy XI for Matches 3 & 4, IRE vs NED - SL vs NAM | T20 WC Fantasy Tips
The action continues at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 with another double-header, this time in Abu Dhabi. While Ireland and the Netherlands resume their rivalry in the first encounter of the day, all eyes will be on former T20 champions Sri Lanka, who take on Namibia in one of the marquee matches in Round 1, Group A.
The opening day of the tournament saw Oman and Scotland come up trumps with emphatic bowling performances. As for the fantasy team that was deployed ahead of the opening encounter, our players had a fairly good outing with Jatinder Singh standing out with a blistering fifty.
However, I did face a hiccup with Mohammad Naim not making it to the playing XI for Bangladesh. The Asian outfit's match was the second one of the day and I had to make a forced transfer, bringing in Andy Balbirnie, who will captain Ireland and is sure to feature on Monday.
With the action coming through thick and fast, fantasy managers will need to be on their toes while making their transfers. So without further ado, here are the proposed changes ahead of another exciting T20 World Cup 2021 double-header.
Deadline for Transfers: 3:30 PM IST (IRE vs NED) and 7:30 PM IST (SL vs NAM) on Monday, October 18th.
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 3 & 4, IRE vs NED | SL vs NAM
Wicketkeeper: Liton Das (Bangladesh, 8.5 credits)
Batters: Andy Balbirnie (Ireland, 9 credits), George Munsey (Scotland, 8.5 credits) and Jatinder Singh (8 credits)
All-rounders: Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka, 8.5 credits), Paul Stirling (Ireland, 9 credits), David Wiese (8.5 credits) and Colin Ackermann (8.5 credits, Netherlands)
Bowlers: Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh, 9.5 credits), Craig Young (Ireland, 7.5 credits) and Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands, 8 credits)
Remaining Credits: 5.5, Transfers Made: 5/30
Ideally, having seven to eight players delivering fantasy points each day would be ideal for double-headers. For the team that ended Day 1, I have persisted with George Munsey, who showed glimpses of his attacking prowess and is in line to face Papua New Guinea on Tuesday. As for the other Omani and Bangladeshi players, a few of them have been swapped with Dutch and Irish players, who will be featuring first on Monday.
The idea behind preferring Netherlands and Ireland players over that of Sri Lanka is that I can make more transfers after the first game concludes. Ideally, we could swap out a Dutch or Irish player for a Sri Lankan or Nambian player without having to sacrifice another Group B player, who will feature again on Tuesday.
As for the first game of the day, I've decided to bring in Paul Stirling and Craig Young, who are arguably Ireland's best batter and bowler respectively. With Andy Balbirnie already in the side, we have a decent Irish contingency. While I already had Paul van Meekeren in the fantasy side, I've opted for Colin Ackermann, who will bat in the top order and might play a big role with the ball against a right-hander-heavy Irish batting unit.
Without completely leaving things until the toss for the second game, I've swapped Assad Vala for David Wiese, whose experience is bound to hold him in good stead. As previously mentioned, a couple of transfers will need to be made to make sure the team is covered for SL vs NAM. Potential transfers that I have in mind are bringing in Kusal Perera and one of Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit.
Note: Transfers made to Match 4 will be updated in the next article and in the comments section as well.
Best T20 World Cup 2021 for Match 3 and 4 - Summary
Players Playing in Match 3: Andy Balbirnie, Paul van Meekeren, Paul Stirling, Colin Ackermann and Craig Young
Players Playing in Match (Transfers to be made): Wanindu Hasaranga and David Wiese
Captaincy Picks:
Captain and Vice-Captain Picks: Colin Ackermann and Paul Stirling (Both Match 3) and Kusal Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga (Both Match 4)
With no restrictions on the number of times we can change our captains, picking our skipper w.r.t the game is essential. For the first game between the Netherlands and Ireland, I am backing Paul Stirling and Colin Ackermann as my differential selections. While Paul Stirling's form and numbers speak for themselves, Colin Ackermann is a slightly risky move. Ackermann is expected to bat at number four, but it is bowling that will be key. Against a right-hander-heavy Irish side, Ackermann's off-spin might not be a great match-up, but his experience is sure to serve him well in this game and also in the tournament.
For the second game of the day, although transfers are pending on my end, in all likelihood, I will be bringing in Kusal Perera for Andy Balbirnie or Paul Stirling, depending on their performance against the Netherlands. While Kusal Perera is one captaincy option, Wanindu Hasaranga is likely to be the other option. David Wiese, meanwhile, is another handy option given his obvious all-round ability.
Other Players
Liton Das (WK/Bangladesh) | Next Fixture: vs Oman, Match 6
George Munsey (BAT/Scotland) | Next Fixture: vs PNG, Match 5
Jatinder Singh (BAT/Oman) | Next Fixture: vs Bangladesh, Match 6
Mustafizur Rahman (BOWL/Bangladesh) | Next Fixture: vs Oman, Match 6