PRE MATCH ANALYSIS
Follow UsPakistan will take on Sri Lanka in the second T20 International (T20I) at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Monday. Pakistan were reduced to a 64-run defeat in the first game thanks to clinical performances in all departments from Sri Lanka. The hosts will be desperate to win this match in a bid to stay alive in the series.
Having surrendered meekly in the One-Day International (ODI) series, the win would have come as a huge confidence booster for Sri Lanka, considering they are fielding a second string unit. Pakistan, who are on the top of the ICC T20I rankings, will look to make better utilisation of their resources and make it 1-1 in the three-match series.
Ground Details and Team Combination
Only a handful of T20 matches have taken place at Lahore in the last couple of years. In fact, including the first T20I, only eight T20s have been played at this venue since 2017. Just like on Saturday, pacers have been the best option, especially in the first two phases of play.
When it comes to playing pace and spin, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka have similar batting run-rates but there is an alarming difference when it comes to their strike-rates and averages.
It might therefore be a good idea to stock your team with a couple of Pakistani spinners, if not more.
Captaincy Suggestion
Despite failing in the first T20I, Babar Azam is an ideal candidate for captaincy in fantasy cricket. In T20Is in Asia, Babar has a fierce record across all phases of play. Among batsmen who have faced at least 100 deliveries from Test playing nations since 2018, nobody averages more than Babar during the Powerplay and he does so at a healthy strike rate. His dominance at the top over the years is the reason why his average of 56.57 is the highest among all players who have played at least 10 innings since 2018.
X-Factors
Having Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim might be a good option as he very rarely goes for many runs and manages to pick up a wicket in most of the matches. Also, he is a good lower-order batsman to have in your team as he can whack the ball a long distance.
Avishka Fernando played a sheet anchor role opening the innings for Sri Lanka in the first T20I, but like he has shown in a few of his ODI knocks recently, he is not afraid to go hard at the bowling. Sri Lanka will want him to make the best use of the first Powerplay and get his side off to a flying start.
Mohammad Amir went wicketless for the first time in 10 innings in the first T20I. He was in good form in the World Cup, especially during the death overs, and he did well even on Saturday, bowling a few top-notch yorkers to bamboozle the Sri Lankan batsmen. He was unlucky not to pick up a wicket and he could very well turn his fortunes around in this match.
Suggested FanFight Team
Ahmed Shehzad, Danushka Gunathilaka, Babar Azam (c), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Haris Sohail, Avishka Fernando, Dasun Shanaka, Imad Wasim, Isuru Udana, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir.
