IPL Fantasy Guru: The double game twist (Updated)

R Ashwin is guru’s pick as Power Player for the match between CSK and KKR

I haven’t loaded my team with players from Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders despite these two teams playing each other twice in a span of 3 games. These double games can sometimes be misleading. Trying to cash in on the double game, if I play someone like Gautam Gambhir, I would be forced to leave out Shane Watson who has the capacity to return more points, albeit a little late. That the CSK home leg will be played on a slow deck didn’t help the cause as well.

Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Transfers made – 2; Transfers remaining – 44

David Warner out - Ravichandran Ashwin inRishi Dhawan out - Suryakumar Yadav in Shaun Marsh out - Dwayne Smith in

Captaincy pick – Ravichandran Ashwin/Suresh Raina

Guru’s team for the CSK vs KKR match

Chepauk showed signs of returning to its old self in the last match played at the venue between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. If it stays that way, the match will probably be decided by how well the spinners from either side bowl. That is enough reason to bring Ravichandran Ashwin in. Barring Gautam Gambhir, none of the Knight Riders batsmen are adept in playing spin on decks that assist the slower bowlers. Suryakumar Yadav, who is probably the next best when it comes to milking spinners, has been throwing away his wicket too.

Dwayne Smith has been in glorious touch, and with Piyush Chawla not expected to be introduced within the powerplay, I expect him to get off to a flier. He has been handling the spinners quite well too, and I should probably consider myself extremely lucky to not be hurt by my decision to continuously ignore him. I see him going really big in one of these two matches against the Knight Riders; therefore, he makes his way in as well.

Brendon McCullum gives you a chance every now and then, and if you drop them like the Kings XI Punjab fielders did last time around, he will obviously make you pay. I can’t really pick someone hoping the opposition would give him enough lives. If he scores, so be it.

On any other day, I would have brought Robin Uthappa in – for reasons mentioned in the last article. But it wouldn’t make sense to stack your team with batsmen on a deck that is going to assist the bowlers. Gautam Gambhir, on the other hand, wouldn’t hurt you much even if he clicks.

When it comes to the Knight Riders’ bowling unit, Sunil Narine is a shadow of a player he was before being reported for a suspect bowling action. Johan Botha doesn’t have the ability to make use of these conditions. That leaves us with Piyush Chawla. I expect the leg-spinner to be neutralised by Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina.

Brad Hogg would be an interesting option if he plays, but you wouldn’t want to draft in a bowler of his age straightaway without knowing what kind of a touch he is in.

Irrespective of how well Ashwin plays in the match, he will be transferred out. Remember that it’s the nature of the deck that decides if a player will be able to cash in on his good run of form. His pick is more due to his MOM potential on a venue like Chepauk. Suresh Raina doesn’t look like he is in form, and that makes Ashwin a better captaincy choice.

---

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals

Transfers made – 1; Transfers remaining – 43

Ravichandran Ashwin out – Shane Watson in

Sandeep Sharma/Harshal Patel out – Yuzvendra Chahal/Ishwar Pandey

Captaincy pick – Virat Kohli/AB de Villiers

RCB vs RR

It would be silly to leave out Shane Watson on one of flattest decks in the world, more so with his all-round skills. With Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Starc and Deepak Hooda already in, the Royals’ captain would be my final pick for this match.

If Steve Smith gets enough deliveries, he will definitely be able to make an impact, but you can’t have both Watson and Smith in your team. I have decided to side with Watson keeping the Royals’ next fixture in mind, which is against Mumbai Indians. Mumbai bowlers wouldn’t find it easy to get through the RR opening duo and that will reduce the fantasy potential of Smith.

There is no way I can get Chris Gayle in here. The best that I can do is hope the Royals pacers get rid of him early, and in Chris Morris, James Faulkner, Watson and Dhawal Kulkarni, they have the arsenal to do it.

RCB have been getting their oppositions all out cheaply in the last couple of matches, but I don’t see it happening at this venue, so De Villiers will definitely come into play. Pravin Tambe is usually one of the best uncapped player options around, but to expect him to deliver against RCB would be asking for too much. The nature of the deck and shorter boundaries would only nullify him further.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel would be my first choice uncapped player picks. With Patel already in, I would get in Ishwar Pandey if Chahal doesn’t play.

---

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings

Transfers made – 1; Transfers remaining – 42

AB de Villiers out – Robin Uthappa in

Manish Pandey/Sandeep Sharma – Yuzvendra Chahal/Harshal Patel out

Captaincy pick – Dwayne Smith/Robin Uthappa

KKR vs CSK

This should be a run-fest, so Robin Uthappa gets in. On a flat deck, the Super Kings spinners would struggle to make an impact and that is exactly why I transferred out Ashwin right after the Chepauk match. On venues like these, you would miss a batsman more than a bowler, more so when the bowler doesn’t bowl at the death.

Andre Russell could cash in on the weak death bowling unit, but I have already explained why a player like him would never be in my fantasy team.

Dwayne Smith would be my captaincy choice for this match. If your team combination permits, do bring Manish Pandey in for this match. This is the best I have seen him bat, although his numbers suggest a different story. Ishwar Pandey is a more dependable option, while Manish is a low-risk gamble that can pay off quite heavily.

And yes, I hope someone catches Brendon McCullum.

Note: I captained Robin Uthappa in the last game as against my initial plan of going with Dwayne Smith. Based on how he batted in the first of the two matches between the teams, it was a logical choice. However, the pitch turned out to be entirely different from what we have been seeing at Eden Gardens for the last couple of years and I must admit that I got incredibly lucky in getting away with that decision.

Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab

Transfers made – 1 (2); Transfers remaining – 41 (40)

Suresh Raina out – Imran Tahir in

Dwayne Smith out – JP Duminy in (Only if Shivam Sharma doesn’t play and DD bat first)

Manish Pandey out – Sandeep Sharma in (if DD bat second)/ Shreyas Iyer in (if DD bat first)

DD vs KXIP if DD bat second

Imran Tahir would be my first pick for the match. Up against a struggling batting unit, him bowling a couple of overs at the death is an option impossible to ignore. There should be runs on offer for JP Duminy if he gets through Sandeep Sharma's opening burst. But since I won’t be able to carry him through till his next match, it will turn out to be a waste of a substitution if he fails today.

So, I have decided to have him in only if the Daredevils bat first. Under lights, the deck helped the seamers in the last game, so it wouldn't be easy batting against the Kings XI pacers. Also, I don’t see Kings XI posting a big enough total for Duminy to make an impact while batting second. Either way, if the off-spinner Shivam Sharma gets a game, do not get him in. The Daredevils captain won’t be comfortable playing the delivery that goes away from him.

The same logic will be applied for choosing the uncapped player too. If the Daredevils bat first, it would be Shreyas Iyer who will get the nod. Under lights, Sandeep Sharma could get the better of him and pick up a couple more if lucky. So, the right-arm pacer would get in if the Daredevils bat second.

DD vs KXIP if DD bat first

Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals

Transfers made – 2; Transfers remaining – 39 (38)

JP Duminy out – Rohit Sharma in

Shreyas Iyer out – Kieron Pollard in

Yuzvendra Chahal out – Pravin Tambe in

Rohit Sharma is in good nick, and with Mumbai playing twice in a span of four games, picking him is a no-brainer. With Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson already in my team, the only other player that interests me is Kieron Pollard. He has been consistently batting at No.5 and both the Royals and Kings XI Punjab don’t have a great death bowling unit. If he can click in one of these two matches, it would be a huge differential with him not being amongst the most picked fantasy players.

RR vs MI

While it is true that Anureet Singh and Sandeep Sharma have been bowling well at the death, you need something more than that to stop Pollard. It also helps that the MI top order hasn't been amongst the runs and the matches will be played on flat decks.

Shane Watson would be my captaincy pick for the match. Deepak Hooda would obviously be my first choice uncapped player, with Pravin Tambe being the second best.