IPL 2014: Fantasy Guru - Pitches being more predictable helps

Even an in-form Gambhir struggles to slog pacers without Powerplay restrictions, and, with the likes of Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah and Praveen Kumar in the team, he will be drawn out of his comfort zone.

The move to play Uthappa as an opener has been coming off so far, but the Knight Riders would do well to shield him from one of his two weaknesses: swing. The other being quality spin, and that comes into the scene only when they return back to home. Uthappa has it in him to be the go-getter in limited overs internationals, but he should be used accordingly. The ideal spot from him will be to come into the game after the first 5-6 overs.

Both the openers have been tentative in handling Malinga so far in their career, which makes it risky to have them in the team. The fact that they have their next match against Sunrisers doesn’t help the cause, too. I don’t want to take a chance on them, and hence the decision on whether or not to include one or both of them will depend on Mumbai playing Praveen, whose early swing holds the key to this match’s outcome.

If Praveen Kumar doesn’t play, one of Gambhir or Uthappa can make the way in. Else, I would keep them both out.

Sunil Narine will be making his way back into my team, as, with the exception of Rohit, I haven’t seen anyone else playing him with certainty and Gambhir uses him very well. I don’t see the need for any other capped Knight Rider.

Uncapped player pick:

Jasprit Bumrah was quite impressive at the death in the last match, getting in his yorkers consistently. I don’t rate CM Gautam as an opener, and Aditya Tare bats too low. The one other player who competes with Bumrah for a spot is Manish Pandey. Bumrah looks a more assured bet, though.

May 15 Update:

Guru’s team after KKR vs. MI match

I brought in Uthappa and Shivam Sharma ahead of Gautam Gambhir and Sandeep Sharma. I did not include Warner, as the captains were of the belief that it would be a low-scoring affair. Talk of misreading a pitch. Thankfully, he was run out before doing more damage.

Rajasthan Royals vs. Delhi Daredevils:

Possible inclusions: (I am not sure about the pitch on offer, which makes it uncertain at this moment)

Ajinkya RahanePravin Tambe/Karun Nair

Possible exclusions:Lasith MalingaShivam Sharma

Usually, the matches at Motera are high-scoring; the average team score of 160 in a T20 match indicates just that. But in the last match at the venue, teams were shot out for 134 and 102, which makes it quite difficult to predict what type of players will rake in points today. These pitch reports are heavily unreliable; the match between Kings X1 Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad where the former chased down 205 was expected to be a low-scoring affair by both the captains.

What helps us, though, is the fact that the Royals’ are playing here. I trust them to get it right, and it will reflect in their team combination. I have opted to wait till the toss so that I can know more about the deck to decide on whom to bring in. If Murali Vijay continues to play, it will nullify the effect that Dinesh Karthik and JP Duminy can have. Yes, they did come in earlier in the last match, but the probability of that happening is too big a risk at this stage of the game.

With Shane Watson already in the team, only Ajinkya Rahane demands inclusion from the Royals. With the Daredevils not playing their second match any sooner, I would most probably not pick anyone from the side.

Uncapped player pick:

Karun Nair looks good for another 40-50 at 120 SR, while Pravin Tambe could give a Man-of-the-Match performance. Rajat Bhatia can come in handy, as well. Sanju Samson has promised so much but has delivered so little in this edition. Mayank Agarwal isn’t worthy of a spot; even on the flattest of decks, he gives away too many chances for the opposition.

Siddarth Kaul isn’t used well; he needs first 3 overs at a stretch to do the damage. If the pitch is slow, Rahul Shukla’s pace will only help the batsmen to score more. Kedar Jadhav comes in at number 7, a colossal waste both for the IPL and fantasy teams’ needs.