The first of the five-match T20I series between India and England will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. After a pulsating Test series, India and England will be locking horns with each other once again, albeit in the shortest format of the game. With an eye on the ICC T20 World Cup later this year, both teams will look to zero in on their best teams for the marquee tournament.
England comes into the series after a stunning performance in South Africa. With a perfect balance of having youngsters and veterans, the visitors start the series as the marginal favorites, despite the hosts having a stellar record at home.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and his men have a lot of food for thought, especially with their batting unit. With a couple of spots up for grabs, the Indian team management will want to come with a fix without compromising on a win in the series. Although India will be missing the services of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return will bring much-needed experience and skill in the death overs.
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Both teams look evenly matched on paper, although England will favorite in the series owing to their superior depth and balance. However, India isn’t pushovers by any means and will also fancy their chances of starting the series with a win. With both the teams looking to start the series on a winning note, a riveting contest could possibly beckon on Friday.
Here are some fantasy XI predictions for the game:
Wicket-Keepers
Jos Buttler seems to be a better pick as he has been known for making a strong comeback and he will be much more effective on pitches in Ahmedabad. However, for India, Rishabh Pant will be keeping the wickets as he is known for playing match-winning knocks, but in order to maintain the balance of the Fantasy XI, Buttler seems the better pick.
Batsmen
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dawid Malan, and Eoin Morgan have always been the prime contenders for fantasy cricket. Even, Shikhar Dhawan also is added in fantasy cricket and that will depend on the balance of the squad. Apart from them, there are some useful batsmen in the line-ups as well, like Shreyas Iyer, Sam Billings, and Suryakumar Yadav.
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All-rounder
There are some really reliable all-rounders in both teams but citing the pitch in Ahmedabad, Hardik Pandya, Moeen Ali, and Ben Stokes seems to be the perfect fit. Apart from them, the good all-rounder for fantasy cricket is Sam Curran.
Bowlers
Both the teams don’t have decent bowling line-ups but they don’t have practiced a lot. Bowlers like Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Chris Jordan become the obvious choices for the Fantasy XI on the dusty track at the Motera Stadium. Apart from them, some crucial bowlers can be like, Deepak Chahar, Mark Wood, and Adil Rashid.
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (c), Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (vc), Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Chris Jordan.
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (vc), Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Chris Jordan.
