Ranji Trophy 2018-19, 2nd Semi-Final: Karnataka vs Saurashtra: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Karnataka and Saurashtra, led by new captains this season, will face off in the semi-final game of the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy in Bangalore. The Manish Pandey-led Karnataka squad has made it to the final four despite missing some of the big names throughout the tournament. Saurashtra side, led by Jaydev Unadkat, has improved in the pace department this season. One of their three outright wins in the group stage was against Karnataka on a turning track in Rajkot.

Saurashtra bundled out Karnataka for just 91 to clinch an 87-run win. In fact, Saurashtra had the upper hand over Karnataka in the previous three Ranji Trophy meetings. The West Zone team got the better of the South Zone team by four wickets in the 2016/17 season and took the first innings-lead during the 2012/13 season. Interestingly, Saurashtra’s two outright wins in last three years over Karnataka did not include either Cheteshwar Pujara or Ravindra Jadeja as a part of the XI.

Match Details:

The 2nd Semi-Final game of the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 will be played between Karnataka and Saurashtra at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

The match will begin on 24th January 2019 at 9:30 AM local time (IST) (4:00 AM GMT).

Streaming of this game will be available on Hotstar in India.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore produced spicy wickets this season. The batsmen didn’t have much to get away with at this venue. The quarter-final game between Karnataka and Rajasthan saw pacers claim most of the wickets. The ball kept low on most of the occasions reminding of the track that was used during the India-Australia Test in 2017. Expect a similar surface for the semis.

Form:

Karnataka’s road to SF:

Finished 3rd in the Elite Group A and B with 27 points coming from three outright wins and three draws from 8 matches they played.

Defeated Rajasthan by six wickets in the Quarter-Final.

Saurashtra’s road to SF:

Finished 2nd in the Elite Group A and B with 28 points coming from three outright wins and five draws from 8 matches they played.

Defeated Uttar Pradesh by six wickets in the Quarter-Final.

Probable XIs:

Karnataka:

Samarth Ravikumar, Mayank Agarwal, Siddharth KV, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey (C), Sharath BR (wk), Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal (vice-captain), R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Jagadeesha Suchith/M Prasidh Krishna/Ronit More.

Bench: Dega Nischal, Sharath Srinivas.

Ronit More and Prasidh Krishna could be fighting for the 3rd pacer’s spot. Jagadeesha Suchith might also get a look in depending on the pitch.

Saurashtra:

Harvik Desai, Snell Patel (wk), Vishvaraj Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sheldon Jackson, Aarpit Vasavada, Prerak Mankad, Kamlesh Makvana, Jaydev Unadkat (C), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Chetan Sakariya.

Bench: Chirag Jani, Samarth Vyas, Jay Chauhan, Kishan Parmar.

Injury and Availability Updates:

Mayank Agarwal has been added to the Karnataka squad. He missed the quarter-final game against Rajasthan due to injury to the fingers he suffered in Australia.

Power Picks:

Saurashtra skipper Jaydev Unadkat picked up 28 wickets in only six matches at an impressive average of 17.67. His bowling could suit the Bangalore track where the ball is expected to keep low. However, he scored only 23 runs from seven innings at an average of 3.28 with three ducks. Unadkat is a much better player than that and could produce his best out in all departments in the big match.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Cheteshwar Pujara continued his Test form as he guided his team to a record run-chase. Mayank Agarwal will be returning back to the domestic circuit. He got off to a good start in his Test career during the Australia tour. The duo can be picked up as captain and vice-captain respectively. Considering the impact of the pitch, Krishnappa Gowtham and Jaydev Unadkat will be perfect for the multiplier roles. Manish Pandey will also be a good option given his ability to excel on testing pitches in this format.

Playing XI #1 for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – B Sharath

Batters – Manish Pandey, Harvik Desai, Mayank Agarwal (VC), Cheteshwar Pujara (C)

All-Rounders – Prerak Mankad, Shreyas Gopal, Krishnappa Gowtham

Bowlers – Jaydev Unadkat, Vinay Kumar, Chetan Sakariya

Playing XI #2 for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Snell Patel

Batters – Manish Pandey, Harvik Desai, Sheldon Jackson, Mayank Agarwal (VC)

All-Rounders – Shreyas Gopal, Krishnappa Gowtham (C)

Bowlers – Jaydev Unadkat, Vinay Kumar, Chetan Sakariya, Abhimanyu Mithun

Expert Advice:

Due to high price tags for players on both sides, only one of Pujara and Jackson can be picked. For taking Pujara, one has to sacrifice both Jackson and Snell Patel. The Indian No.3 is valued at 11 credits, the highest from this match.

Probable Winners:

Karnataka will start as favourites against Saurashtra due to the home advantage despite their recent head to head record.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

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