T20 World Cup Fantasy 2021: Best Fantasy XI for Matches 7 & 8, NAM vs NED - SL vs IRE | T20 WC Fantasy Tips
Round 1 Group A action of the T20 World Cup 2021 resumes with hot-favorites Sri Lanka taking on Ireland in a much-awaited clash at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. We also have one other game, with the Netherlands facing a resourceful Namibia side at the very same venue earlier in the day.
Before jumping into the fantasy team for this double-header, a review of yesterday's games is in order. I had a fairly good day in the office with two of my differential selections, Josh Davey and Mustafizur Rahman, impressing with the ball. However, the slight misjudgement with respect to the captaincy selections of Liton Das and Kyle Coezter did cost me a few points.
Having said that, the next double-header, this time in Group A, provides another opportunity to redeem some valuable fantasy points. Here are the tentative changes I have in place for the first match of the day - Namibia versus Netherlands - with the second game of the day (Sri Lanka versus Ireland) also in mind.
Deadline for Transfers: 3:30 PM IST (NED vs NAM) and 7:30 PM IST (SL vs IRE) on Wednesday, October 20th.
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 7 & 8, NAM vs NED | SL vs IRE
Wicketkeeper: Liton Das (Bangladesh, 8.5 credits)
Batters: Mohammad Naim (Bangladesh, 8.5 credits), George Munsey (Scotland, 8.5 credits) and Stephan Myburgh (Netherlands, 8.5 credits)
All-rounders: Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka, 8.5 credits), Paul Stirling (Ireland, 9 credits), JJ Smit (Namibia, 7.5 credits) and Colin Ackermann (Netherlands, 8.5 credits)
Bowlers: Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh, 9.5 credits), Fred Klaassen (Netherlands, 8 credits) and Lahiru Kumara (Sri Lanka, 7.5 credits)
Remaining Credits: 6.5, Transfers Made: 20/30
Transfers: Shakib al Hasan, Jatinder Singh, Aqib Ilyas and Josh Davey (OUT); Fred Klaassen, Colin Ackermann, Stephan Myburgh and JJ Smit (IN)
Although I might be a tad down in the remaining transfers, I am planning to make as many as four changes ahead of the Netherlands-Namibia clash. I will be bringing in Colin Ackermann and Stephan Myburgh, both of whom are solid batters capable of scoring quick and big runs. Rubel Trumpelmann is the obvious threat with the new ball, and Myburgh should be able to get some runs in an ideal scenario.
The other changes I will be making will be bringing in JJ Smit and Fred Klaassen at the expense of Josh Davey and Shakib Al Hasan, both of whom were pretty crucial to my fantasy team on matchday 3. While Smit's all-round ability is a valuable asset, Fred Klaassen is likely to share the new ball and generate some movement early on against Baard and Green, with both not great against quality swing bowling.
As for the second game of the day - Sri Lanka versus Ireland - I already have three players in Paul Stirling, Lahiru Kumara and Wanindu Hasaranga. Ideally I would look to add a Sri Lankan batter, most likely Kusal Perera. An Irish bowler would also help the cause, but I will have to take that call at the time of the toss.
Note: Transfers made to Match 8 will be updated in the next article and in the comments section as well.
Best T20 World Cup 2021 for Match 7 and 8 - Summary
Players Playing in Match 7: Colin Ackermann, Fred Klaassen, JJ Smit and Stephan Myburgh
Players Playing in Match 8 (Transfers to be made): Kusal Perera and Josh Little
Captaincy Picks:
Captain and Vice-Captain Picks: Stephan Myburgh and Fred Klaassen (Both Match 7) and Kusal Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga (Both Match 8)
I expect the Netherlands to come out on top in this fixture, which is why I will be opting for two Dutch players in Stephan Myburgh and Fred Klaassen as my differential selections. Klaassen has the experience and skill-set to excel on such wickets, which is why I have opted for him over the likes of Brandon Glover and Logan van Beek in the first place. As for Myburgh, the southpaw looks to be in decent touch and with his knack for scoring quick runs taken into consideration, he gets the nod as captain of my fantasy team for this game.
In the second match, I expect Sri Lanka to get another win under their belts. Walking along the same lines, I prefer having Kusal Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga as my captain and vice-captain respectively. While Kusal Perera, for me, is Sri Lanka's best batter and is bound to come good at some point in time, choosing Hasaranga is a tactical move. Ireland's batting unit, who have no left-handers in their top six, have seemingly struggled against leg-spin lately. Given Hasaranga returns in the format this year, his inclusion is a no-brainer.
Other Players
Liton Das (WK/Bangladesh) | Next Fixture: vs PNG, Match 9
Mohammad Naim (BAT/Bangladesh) | Next Fixture: vs PNG, Match 9
George Munsey (BAT/Scotland) | Next Fixture: vs Oman, Match 10
Mustafizur Rahman (BOWL/Bangladesh) | Next Fixture: vs PNG, Match 9