IPL Fantasy League 2016 Tips: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Match 14

Transfers made – 0; Transfers remaining – 66

(Uncapped) Manan Vohra out – Harshal Patel in

Batting captain – AB de Villiers

Bowling captain – Jasprit Bumrah (If MI bowl first)/ Shane Watson (If RCB bowl first)

*If you need only one captain for the entire match, it has to be Shane Watson*

Batting captaincy options – Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

In the couple of matches played at Wankhede so far, the powerplay overs haven’t been easy for batsmen with the ball moving around. While Kohli can still handle it, I would prefer to go with de Villiers as my captain for this match.

The tricky nature of the deck is one of the reasons why I threw out Martin Guptill despite him playing twice in three matches. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has been pushed down the order, which will have an effect on his fantasy potential. And it also means Jos Buttler, now batting at No.5, will get lesser deliveries to make an impact.

Bowling captaincy options – Jasprit Bumrah, Shane Watson, and Mitchell McClenaghan

I would go with a bowler from the team that is bowling first today. Teams batting first have struggled to set targets right through the tournament; that they have been bundled out for cheaper scores has made chasing easier, which, in turn, hasn’t given bowlers bowling second enough runs to defend.

If RCB bowl first, Adam Milne, who is expected to replace David Wiese in the playing XI today, would be quite a differential considering the brittle nature of the Mumbai top order and the way the ball has been behaving in the powerplay overs here. But remember, you are also running the risk of him getting dropped for the next match if he fails today.

Nature of the deck – The only venue that has consistently aided bowlers this season. Batting to become easier after the first 6 overs.

Mumbai Indians insights

Corey Anderson could have come back into the team had Tim Southee not bowled the spell that he did against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They might do with it today at Wankhede, but as they move on to flatter decks, I don’t see much use in sticking with two overseas bowlers in the team, especially when none of them are exceptional at the death.

Although Ambati Rayudu came in at No.3 the last game, I don’t expect that to be fixed. Rohit could be promoted depending on the match situation, which keeps me away from picking Rayudu despite the form he is in.

Royal Challengers Bangalore insights

The Royal Challengers shot themselves in their own foot by dropping Milne, whose pace could have troubled the Daredevils’ Indian contingent last match. I would like to think they have suffered enough to realise that by now.

With Chris Gayle unavailable for the next two games, Travis Head could get an opportunity to open the innings. AB de Villiers could take up the gloves soon if Kedhar Jadhav keeps performing the way he has been so far, with Mandeep Singh taking his spot in the side. Varun Aaron could replace Sreenath Aravind.

Uncapped pick – Krunal Pandya (1), Yuzvendra Chahal (2) and Harshal Patel (3)

With both Krunal and Chahal already in my team, I will bring in Harshal as well if he plays. Mandeep Singh is worth a spot if he plays in top 3; with a bit of luck, he could give you 100 points in return.