Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20: Round 11, Elite Group A & B, Karnataka vs Saurashtra, Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The Round 11 game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019 between Karnataka and Saurashtra will be hosted by M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

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

Preview:

After coming up trumps against a Shivam Dube inspired Mumbai side, Karnataka shifts their focus on Saurashtra as both sides face each other in a Round 11 clash at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The home side has played four games at the venue with the likes of KL Rahul and Manish Pandey ensuring a perfect record. With 20 points in six games, Karnataka leads the Elite Group A points table and are on course for a knockout phase.

Saurashtra, on the other hand, has been fairly inconsistent. They come into this game on the back of a disappointing loss against Jharkhand earlier in the week. In spite of having Jaydev Unadkat and Sheldon Jackson in its ranks, Saurashtra is reeling in the bottom half of the table with just two wins for six games. With time running out for them, they will look to inflict an upset on the reigning Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champions although Karnataka isn’t an easy side to beat at home.

Weather Condition/Report:

There is a possible threat of rain for this game although a match should be completed. A cloud cover of 78% and a possible drizzle, according to AccuWeather could delay the start of the match with better conditions expected as the game progresses.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The pitch has seen only seen high-scoring games this year. Spin is expected to play a major role with Karnataka winning all the matches here whilst batting first. With some swing also on offer later on, teams would be tempted to bat first and set a target for the opposition.

Average first innings score: 294 (4 matches in VHT 2019-20)

Record of chasing team: Won – 0, Lost – 4

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be shared when there’s an update)

Probable Playing XIs:

Karnataka:

KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey (C), Rohan Kadam, Sharath BR (WK), K Gowtham,  Abhimanyu Mithun, Shreyas Gopal, Ronit More, Prasidh Krishna

Bench: Abhishek Reddy, K Siddharth, Srinivas Sharath, V Kousik, Praveen Dubey

Saurashtra:

Harvik Desai (WK), Sheldon Jackson, Aarpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani, Samarth Vyas, Kamlesh Makvana, Vishavraj Jadeja, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Jaydev Unadkat (C), Prerak Mankad. Agnivesh Ayachi

Bench: Rajdeep Darbar, Hardik Rathod, Kushang Patel, Jay Chauhan, Himalaya Barad

Top Picks:

KL Rahul and Manish Pandey have been sensational this season. With 336 and 404 runs respectively, they are good for more runs on a good batting track in Bengaluru. Manish Pandey has been the standout player of the entire tournament with an average of 80.80 being the cherry on the top.

In spite of being one of the consistent players in the domestic circuit over the last few years, Sheldon Jackson has underwhelmed this season. He is due for a big score and could come good on Saturday.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – KL Rahul, Sheldon Jackson, Manish Pandey

Vice-Captain – Prerak Mankad, Karun Nair, Abhimanyu Mithun

KL Rahul’s record in Bengaluru is undeniable with the Indian international already scoring 336 runs in six innings.

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Sheldon Jackson (VC)

Batsmen – Manish Pandey, KL Rahul (C), Arpit Vasavada, Devdutt Padikkal

All-Rounders – K Gowtham, Prerak Mankad

Bowlers – Abhimanyu Mithun, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, D Jadeja

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Sheldon Jackson

Batsmen – KL Rahul (C), Devdutt Padikkal, Karun Nair (VC), V Jadeja

All-Rounders – K Gowtham, Kamlesh Makvana

Bowlers – Abhimanyu Mithun, Prasidh Krishna, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat

Expert Advice:

With this being a high scoring ground, top-order batsmen and finishers are crucial in the context of the fantasy contest with the likes of KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Sheldon Jackson bound to score some runs on this surface.

Krishnappa Gowtham’s skill-set suits the pitch with the off-spinner picking a couple of wickets in the previous game as well. Available at 9 credits, Gowtham is an ideal pick for this game.

Probable Winners:

Karnataka is the clear favourites for this game and is expected to make light work of Saurashtra.

*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.