Women's T20 World Cup 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 Fantasy teams for India vs Ireland
India take on Ireland in a crunch clash at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 on Monday, February 20, at St. George's Park in Port Elizabeth.
After starting the tournament with consecutive wins against Pakistan and West Indies, India headed into an all-important clash against England filled with confidence. However, their 11-run defeat chasing a par target left fans and experts unhappy with their performance.
While they will still be favorites against an already eliminated Ireland side, India will want to err on the side of caution and win this game convincingly to safely make the playoffs and stand a chance of finishing at the top of the group in case England slip up against Pakistan.
Ireland have shown some fight in most of their games and it wouldn't be prudent to write them off. This should be an interesting game and there could be plenty of surprise performers. On that note, let's look at three surprise Dream11 picks for this India-Ireland clash.
#3 Laura Delany
Ireland captain Laura Delany isn't a low-owned player, but in the context of the game, she is someone who gets overlooked, especially when it comes to being a captaincy option. Someone who bats at No.4 for her side and usually bowls 3-4 overs per match, Delany is one of those players who has plenty of points potential.
While it remains to be seen how effective she will be against India, Delany could be a wise captaincy punt for someone looking for a differential option. Barring teammate Orla Prendergast, there isn't another player who bats high up the order and bowls regularly.
#2 Pooja Vastrakar
Seam-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar is another Indian player with surprisingly low ownership heading into this game. While she had an off day against England, Pooja was very consistent in the other two games against Pakistan and the West Indies.
The upcoming match at St. George's Park is set to favor seam bowlers, and while all eyes will rightfully be on Renuka Singh after her stellar fifer against England, Pooja could also profit from the conditions. Dream11 players can take a chance on her to deliver wickets and points for their teams.
#1 Rajeshwari Gayakwad
India's left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad has gone wicketless in the first three matches of the World Cup and that might be the reason for her low ownership heading into this game. However, she did complete her full quota of overs in the first two games and it's clear that captain Harmanpreet Kaur has plenty of trust in the veteran campaigner.
Ireland haven't played finger spinners well in this tournament, with Nashra Sandhu, Sophie Ecclestone, and Nida Dar among the bowlers to have troubled their batters so far. Gayakwad has 58 wickets in 54 T20Is and her wicketless form is unlikely to continue for long.
Her stump-to-stump bowling could fetch her plenty of success against a struggling batting unit and get her extra points for LBW and bowled dismissals. She could be a low-ownership gem in your fantasy teams.