FANTASY
Follow UsGujarat Titans will take on Delhi Capitals in Match 10 of the Indian Premier League 2021 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Saturday (April 2). Gujarat and Delhi were far from their best in their respective opening encounters of the Indian Premier League 2022 but the two sides still ended up on the right side of the result, which is all that matters at the end.
Availability of overseas players
West Indies seamer Alzarri Joseph will be available for selection but the Titans are likely to stick with the same overseas players. All their players have joined the squad and are available for selection. Meanwhile, Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman have joined the Delhi set-up but they will still be without David Warner (available after April 6), Mitchell Marsh (injured) and Anrich Nortje (injured).
Team combination and ground details
The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune has already hosted one match this season and the surface had something to offer to everyone. Rajasthan amassed 210/6 in their first innings but Hyderabad could only manage 149/7 in the second essay. The likes Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna got a lot of movement with the new ball, while R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal too returned with good numbers. It would be ideal to have at least two new-ball bowlers and as many spinners in your team. All-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Lalit Yadav could also prove to be handy picks.
Team suggestion
The team we've picked has a good mix of world-class batters and bowlers. But remember, while you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captain
Mohammed Shami was at his absolute best against Lucknow Super Giants and could once again do a lot of damage with the new ball. The right-arm paceman claimed three big wickets in the powerplay and that played a massive role in Gujarat’s five-wicket win over Lucknow. Shami can be expensive but he knows how to take wickets. Since the start of IPL 2019, Shami has claimed 61 wickets in 43 innings at a strike rate of 16.2. Only Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah have more wickets than him in this period.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Shami to pick up 2-3 wickets.
X-factors
The Indian team management and selectors would be mighty pleased with the way Hardik Pandya operated against Lucknow. The all-rounder bowled his full quota of four overs and looked in great rhythm, bowling constantly over 135 kmph. Then batting at No. 4, the 28-year-old also played a crucial knock of 33. He has batted at this position eight times in this competition and averages 56. Pandya has confirmed that he will bat at No. 4 for Gujarat and that makes him a handy pick, who could fetch you points in all three facets of the game.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Pandya to score 15-23 runs and pick up 0-1 wicket.
Prithvi Shaw looked in superb touch against Mumbai Indians, smashing 38 off 24 deliveries. Ever since making his IPL debut in 2018, the right-handed opener has scored 931 runs in the powerplay which is among the most in the competition in this phase. His strike rate of 147 in the powerplay is the best for an Indian since IPL 2018.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Shaw to score 31-47 runs.
Here are the top-10 picks as per Criclytics projected points
Probable XIs
Gujarat - Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (wk), Vijay Shankar, Abhinav Manohar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Aaron/Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami.
Delhi - Prithvi Shaw, Tim Seifert, Mandeep Singh/Sarfaraz Khan/Yash Dhull, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi/Mustafizur Rahman.
