Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20: Round 1, Elite Group A, Karnataka vs Hyderabad: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The re-scheduled Elite Group A match of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20 will be played between Karnataka and Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The match starts at 9:00 AM local time (IST) (3:30 AM GMT).

Match Preview:

Unseasonal rain has caused havoc in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the first three days, out of the 30 scheduled matches, 17 were abandoned without toss due to inclement conditions. Such has been its effect on Group A and B that the BCCI was forced to re-schedule the games on alternate dates. One of the rescheduled game is Karnataka vs Hyderabad.

It was supposed to take place at the KSCA Stadium in Alur on September 24th but inclement weather turned it into a damp squib. So, here we are then, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for a possible bout between these two sides, if rain permits, of-course!

Karnataka is flying high with two wins in as many completed fixtures and is yet to drop a game this season. They come into this game on the back of a comprehensive 60-run win over Kerala in their previous encounter. The win was spearheaded by a calm and collected KL Rahul, who timed his innings to perfection to score his highest List A total [131] and Ronit More, who claimed three wickets including the prized scalp of centurion Vishu Vinod.

They will now face the third-placed Hyderabad who has had a mixed tournament thus far: N/R, W, L. That ‘L’ against their name came via a crushing 62-run defeat they faced at the hands of Kerela yesterday. And, it was their batting unit which was at the heart of it. Chasing a poultry 228, no batsmen in the top-order barring Tanmay Agarwal [69] could pose any resistance against the likes of KM Asif [4-34] and Sandeep Warrier [2-14] and were bowled out for 165 in 44.4 overs.

Weather Condition/Report:

Cities have changed. Venues have changed. But, unfortunately, the story remains the same. As per the weather report, scattered thunderstorms are expected throughout tomorrow in Bengaluru. The percentage of rain causing spoilsport again is 80 percent which is set to attain its peak during the afternoon.

Pitch Condition/Report:

Short boundaries. Flat decks. Bengaluru has always been a safe haven for batsmen. Rain permitting, it is expected to be the same on Tuesday.

Average first innings score: 290 (In two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches this season)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 0, Lost – 2 (In two games this season)

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be added when there’s an update)

Probable Playing XIs:

Karnataka:

KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, KV Siddharth (wk), Manish Pandey (c), Pavan Deshpande, Sharath, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jagadeesha Suchith, Abhimanyu Mithun, Prasidh Krishna, Ronit More

Bench- Abhishek Reddy, Praveen Dubey, V Koushik, Srinivas Sharath

Hyderabad

Tanmay Agarwal, Akshath Reddy, Tilak Verma, Ambati Rayudu (c), Bavanaka Sandeep, Rohit Rayudu, Jamalpur Malikarjun (wk), Mehdi Hasan, Chama V Milind, Ajay Dev Goud, Mohammed Siraj

Bench- Telukupalli Ravi Teja, Palakodeti Sairam, Kartikeya Kak, Mickl Jaiswal

Top Picks:

Karnataka: KL Rahul scored a blazing 131 [his highest List A score]; one that was brilliantly timed and calculated, in the last game against Kerala to lead Karnataka to an imperious win. He, along with Devdutt Padikal [52 vs Jharkhand], Pavan Deshpande [70 vs Jharkhand] and skipper Manish Pandey [52 & 50] will spearhead Karnataka’s batting unit while Ronit More [3-42 vs Kerela] and Abhimanyu Mithun [2-32] will lead the bowling attack.

Hyderabad: Tanmay Agarwal [79 & 69] has been the bedrock of Hyderabad’s batting thus far. In what was an appalling batting display against Kerala, the opener was the lone shining light. While he would like to continue his form, Agarwal would also hope that the likes of Akashnath Reddy, Tilak Verma, who scored a 74-ball 65 against Saurashtra lend him some support.

Unlike their batting, Hyderabad’s bowling has been really good thus far. Spearheaded by Bavanaka Sandeep 5-26 against Saurashtra, the likes of Siraj [2-45], Mehidy Hasan [2-38] and Ajay Dev Goud [3-52] have chipped in at various stages thus far.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – KL Rahul, Tanmay Agarwal, Bavanaka Sandeep

Vice-Captain – Devdutt Padikal, Manish Pandey, Ronit More

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – K. Siddharth

Batsmen – Tanmay Agarwal [vc], Manish Pandey, Lokesh Rahul [c], Devdutt Padikal, Ambati Rayudu

All-Rounders – Bavanaka Sandeep, Krishnappa Gowtham

Bowlers –Mehdi Hasan, Ajay Dev Goud, Shreyas Gopal

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Jamalpur Mallikarjun 

Batsmen – Tanmay Agarwal, Manish Pandey [c], Lokesh Rahul [vc], Tilak Varma, Ambati Rayudu

All-Rounders – Pawan Deshpande, Krishnappa Gowtham

Bowlers – Ronit More, Mohammad Siraj, Chama V Milind

Expert Advice:

Openers KL Rahul and Tanmay Agarwal are in top-notch form in this season thus far. With rain expected to play spoilsport and with maximum chances of it being a curtailed fixture, picking the openers as your captain/vice-captain can prove to be a great punt. And, who better to choose than Rahul and Tanmay?

Probable Winners:

Considering the recent form of both sides and the fact that Karnataka is playing at home, they’ll start as favourites.

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.