WPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 Fantasy team for RCB vs DC
Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Delhi Capitals in the second game of WPL 2023 on Sunday (March 5) at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
Led by Smriti Mandhana, RCB will face Meg Lanning's Delhi Capitals, with Mandhana's Indian teammate Jemimah Rodrigues the DC vice-captain. Both teams have a strong Indian core, with DC slightly edging out RCB on paper with a better set of overseas players.
On what's expected to be a good batting surface, we should get to witness a cracker of a contest. Let's now look at three surprise picks for your Dream11 Fantasy cricket team.
Deadline: 03:30 pm IST on Sunday, March 5.
#3 Radha Yadav (DC)
One of India's first-choice spinners, Radha Yadav is expected to be one of two left-arm spinners DC are expected to play, with the Australian Jess Jonassen the other. Yadav didn't have the best of World Cup campaigns but put in a couple of good performances and is a reliable performer.
With Jess Jonassen used primarily in the later stages of games, Yadav should primarily be used in the middle overs but could open the bowling too. The 22-year-old is owned by fewer Dream11 managers and could be a handy differential for this game.
#2 Shikha Pandey (DC)
Indian seamer Shikha Pandey is expected to be the side's frontline pacer for the tournament. The Capitals signed her for ₹60 Lakhs, which is a bargain, especially when one considers her experience and wicket-taking ability.
Pandey is being backed by a very low percentage of Dream11 managers, which presents them with a great opportunity to make up some ground through her differential selection. With Marizanne Kapp likely to be the only other seamer in the playing XI, Pandey is almost certain to bowl her full quota of overs and should lead the team's pace attack.
She has a genuine chance of picking up a good haul of wickets and could be a good left-field captaincy option.
#1 Dane van Niekerk (RCB)
It's surprising to even see Dane van Niekerk make this list, but Dream11 Fantasy managers seem to be overlooking her at the moment, which is a huge blunder. The Proteas all-rounder comes into the tournament after being snubbed for the T20 World Cup 2023 on fitness grounds, with her omission stirring controversy.
While she saw her national teammates show tremendous determination and grit to make the final, she would've been disappointed not to be part of such a special moment in their cricketing history. Van Niekerk must be itching to get back into action and should slot in at No.4 for RCB.
While the head coach remarked that there will be rotation among their overseas players, you'd expect someone of Van Niekirk's quality to make the playing XI for the season opener. Her stats show that she's one of the best all-rounders in women's cricket, and if she's in the playing XI, selecting her should be a no-brainer.