IPL Fantasy Guru: Make way for Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc will be a good pick for the upcoming matches

Looking at the comments section of my articles, I notice that there are far too many people concerned about my fantasy rank. I don’t understand why you would be worried about your rank this early into the tournament. Remember that there are teams that have already emptied their substitutions, and they would obviously be higher up the order at this point. It is around the 35th match that the real rankings would begin to surface, and that’s quite a distance from here.

If you have 49 or more subs after the end of the 20th match and have crossed 5,700 points, you are doing it right. This is not a 100m dash, rather a marathon – where you stand at the end of the first quarter hardly matters.

Those who are still interested in knowing my rank, you can always join my league and see for yourself. No one is stopping you!

League name: Sportskeeda Fantasy Guru

League code: 85101

Let’s move on to the next 4 matches now.

Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians

Transfers made – 2; Transfers remaining – 51

Rohit Sharma in – Suresh Raina out

Mitchell Starc in – Brendon McCullum out (Budget cushion)

Jasprit Bumrah in – Anureet Singh out

Captaincy pick – Rohit Sharma

Guru’s team for DD vs MI

Rohit Sharma would be my first pick for the match. The Daredevils leg-spin duo of Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir will run through the top 3 (if they last the first 6 overs that is) to give the Mumbai Indians captain enough time in the middle to produce an impact performance. With Mumbai playing twice in a span of 3 matches and against quite capable bowling attacks, Kieron Pollard is a tempting option, but Mumbai’s defensive approach to keep him for the last 5 overs doesn’t help.

Harbhajan Singh has plenty of left-handers to prey on – JP Duminy and Yuvraj Singh against Delhi Daredevils and Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner against Sunrisers Hyderabad – and is in form too. That none of the four are adept in playing spin only plays into the off-spinner’s hands. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him deliver in these two matches.

With Imran Tahir already in, I don’t see any other Daredevils player worth getting in – more so when you have to transfer the picked player out immediately. If Shreyas Iyer doesn’t lose his mind against Lasith Malinga, he should do well in the fixture. Jasprit Bumrah can chip away with a few cheap wickets, courtesy of bowling at the death.

Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Transfers made – 1; Transfers remaining – 50

Steven Smith in – Imran Tahir out

Yuzvendra Chahal in – Jasprit Bumrah out

Captaincy pick – Steven Smith/AB de Villiers

RR vs RCB

With Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers already in my team, the only other RCB player who is worth considering is Mitchell Starc. I didn't pick him in the last match, as Chennai Super Kings are the best batting side in the tournament. But I should consider myself extremely lucky to have escaped unhurt by the move. The way the match was proceeding, he could have easily picked up 3 wickets in the last over alone.

While it would be silly to expect him to do what he did in the World Cup, that Virat Kohli reserves two overs of him for the death increases his fantasy potential considerably. With RCB playing thrice in a span of 8 matches, it makes sense drafting him in.

Ajinkya Rahane is an obvious choice when it comes to Rajasthan Royals. The issue, however, is in picking one between Shane Watson and Steve Smith. I don’t really agree with the point of view that Smith’s value has decreased following the arrival of Watson. Even if you have two of your all-time best T20 batsmen opening for you, the value of your No.3 will never decrease. It is just a matter of one wicket.

Rahane is due for a failure while Watson wouldn’t find it easy playing Starc, Yuzvendra Chahal and Iqbal Abdulla in the first match. In the second, the Knight Riders would choke the Australian big hitter with spin. It could come down to Smith to see it through in both the encounters.

More than leaving out Watson, what worries me is the Royals’ tendency to experiment with their batting order. However, if a wicket falls early, which I expect it to, I don’t see them sending anyone other than Smith. Also, picking Smith ahead of Watson gives me the budget cushion. What should also be not forgotten is that Watson isn’t bowling his 4 overs anymore.

Chahal has been consistent in providing breakthroughs for RCB, and with Deepak Hooda in, he would be my uncapped player pick for this match.

Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

Transfers made – 0; Transfers remaining – 50

Jasprit Bumrah in - Yuzvendra Chahal out

Captaincy pick – Rohit Sharma/David Warner

MI vs SRH

I already have the three best options for this match in Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh and David Warner. Shikhar Dhawan becomes defensive if Warner gets off to a flier, so a half-century at 120 SR wouldn’t hurt you much. If Warner finds the going difficult, Dhawan tries one too many shots and perishes eventually. So, in most cases, you shouldn’t miss him.

The only threat for Warner here is Harbhajan with the ball spinning away from him, and that's quite a big one to evade. If he manages to get through the Turbantor, Mumbai Indians would have absolutely no answers to the Australian Pocket Dynamo's onslaught.

Jasprit Bumrah would again be my uncapped player pick for this match.

Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab

Transfers made – 2; Transfers remaining – 48

Suresh Raina in – Rohit Sharma out

Shaun Marsh in – David Warner out

Sandeep Sharma in – Jasprit Bumrah out

Captaincy pick – Suresh Raina/Shaun Marsh

CSK vs KXIP

I have decided to leave out both Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith for this fixture. With Sandeep Sharma and Axar Patel in decent form, I don’t see how the CSK opening duo can survive for long. Also, McCullum’s playing style has made him a complete lottery. I am tired of him. If Suresh Raina survives Sandeep, he should score plenty here and hence I get him in.

Shaun Marsh is one of the best overseas players of spin in the tournament. Pace and swing is the only way you can get through him, and that is something that the CSK pacers lack. On a flat deck, Marsh should cash in on his good form. He would be my second pick for the match.

Glenn Maxwell looks a shadow of the player he was in the last season, and despite his love for Dhoni-led teams, I don’t see him scoring here. He could well be dropped if George Bailey recovers from his shoulder injury. With Bailey coming in, David Miller's fantasy potential will rise – as he will be batting at No.4. But that can wait for another day.