Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2018-19: Mumbai vs Sikkim: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Mumbai brought an end to their decade long wait to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy when they defeated Delhi in the final last year but backed it up with a poor show in the Ranji Trophy. The 41-time champions missed the services of key players this time around due to the national team and India ‘A’ commitments. At one stage, Mumbai didn’t repeat the same bowling attack in two successive matches. Their sole outright win of the season came in the final game against Chhattisgarh.

However, Mumbai now has many big names taking part for them during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. Ajinkya Rahane will be leading the team while Prithvi Shaw returns for the first time since getting injured in Australia. They could be seen bagging few records when they take on Sikkim in their first game on Thursday. Sikkim, one of the new entrants to the Indian domestic circuit, were often at the receiving end during the Vijay Hazare and Ranji tournaments this season.

Match Details:

The Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2018-19 match between Mumbai and Sikkim will be played at the Emerald Heights International School Ground in Indore.

The match will begin at 1:00 PM local time (IST) (7:30 AM GMT).

List of broadcasted matches from the tournament on Day 1:

Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD (Live Streaming on Hotstar):

Delhi vs Jharkhand and Kerala vs Manipur

Live Streaming on Hotstar:

Gujarat vs Meghalaya and Himachal vs Vidarbha

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Emerald School Ground in Indore has a good history of producing high-scoring matches just like the Holkar Stadium in the same city. The venue last hosted T20s in 2012 where the last five afternoon games had an average first innings score of 167. Mumbai could post a 200+ total if they bat first against Sikkim.

Average first innings score: 167 (Last 5 T20 matches played in the afternoon)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 3, Lost – 2

Probable XIs:

Mumbai:

Ajinkya Rahane (C), Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare (WK), Shams Mulani, Shubham Ranjane/Dhrumil Matkar, Shardul Thakur, Dhawal Kulkarni, Tushar Deshpande.

Bench: Akash Parkar, Eknath Kerkar, Royston Dias.

Sikkim:

Lee Yong Lepcha, Nilesh Lamichaney, Milind Kumar, Asish Thapa, Karma Bhutia, Bipul Sharma, Ishwar Chaudhary, Amosi Rai, Mandup Bhutia, Plazor Tamang.

Bench: Rinzing Bhutia, Pritam Nirala, Tashi Pintso, Bibek Dayali.

Injury and Availability Updates:

(Will be added when there is an update)

Power Picks:

In his short career, Prithvi Shaw has shown the intent of scoring runs at a quick pace in the limited overs cricket. His natural playing style suits the white ball cricket and he has seen success with that. Shaw scored at 150+ strike-rate in the IPL and also scored quick-fire fifties during the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this season. He will be hoping to make merry of the Sikkim’s bowling attack.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain options – Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Bipul Sharma, Tushar Deshpande

Vice-captain options – Milind Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Shardul Thakur, Suryakumar Yadav

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

Keeper – Aditya Tare

Batters – Shreyas Iyer, Nilesh Lamichaney, Surya Kumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw (C)

All-Rounders – Bipul Sharma (VC), Milind Kumar, Lee Yong Lepcha

Bowlers – Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Ishwar Chaudhary

Playing XI #2 for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Aditya Tare

Batters – Shreyas Iyer (C), Nilesh Lamichaney, Surya Kumar Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane

All-Rounders – Bipul Sharma, Milind Kumar (VC), Lee Yong Lepcha

Bowlers – Shardul Thakur, Dhawan Kulkarni, Mandup Bhutia

Expert Advice:

Given the uncertainty of Sikkim’s quality cricket, it will be better to pick as less players as possible from their squad. Only Bipul Sharma, Milind Kumar and Ishwar Chaudhary have the experience of playing higher level cricket from the Sikkim’s squad.

Probable Winners:

Mumbai is expected to kick start their campaign with a big win against the Sikkim team.

*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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