IND vs ENG, 1st T20I – Fan2Play Fantasy Cricket Tips, Prediction and Playing XI

Match Details

This is the first game of the five-match T20I series and it will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 12th March, 2021. The match will commence at 7:00 PM IST and it will be telecasted on the Stars Sports and stream live on Hotstar.

Preview

The Test series is done and dusted and England might just breathe a sigh of relief as the caravan now moves to the white-ball formats. First up is the five-match T20I series and both teams will have one eye on the T20 World Cup which is slated to take place in India later this year. This series provides an ideal preparation for the showpiece event.

India’s form in T20Is has been excellent. Since the start of 2018, not team has as many wins as them (32 wins and 12 losses). Moreover, India’s last T20I series defeat came in early 2019 when they lost 0-2 to Australia at home. Since then, Virat Kohli and his men have been dominant.

While Rohit Sharma is settled, it’s going to be a toss up between KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan and the former has been in fantastic form in T20s (IPL and international cricket) for a few years now. There may be a chance that both of them play but that might leave Rahul or Kohli to bat at No. 4. That might force India to leave Shreyas Iyer out. Suryakumar Yadav has knocked down the selection door and is in contention to bat at No. 4 as well. Thus, there’s the problem of plenty.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant’s inclusion adds some firepower in the middle as he along with Hardik Pandya will don the finisher’s role. Ravindra Jadeja’s absence means Washington Sundar might get the nod at No. 7. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return is also a positive sign and he should spearhead this attack. Two out of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini are likely to make the cut alongside leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. T Natarajan is unlikely to be available for this game as he is undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA.

On the other hand, England have been in solid form as well in T20Is. They haven’t lost a bilateral T20I series since losing to India 1-2 in July 2018. In fact, since then, they have suffered just five defeats and they come into this series on the back of a 3-0 whitewash in South Africa.

Their side wears a settled look. Jason Roy and Jos Buttler are likely to open with Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan forming a formidable middle-order. Sam Billings is also there in the mix. One of Sam Curran or Moeen Ali should slot in at No. 7 while three out of Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Tom Curran and Reece Topley form the pace attack to complement Adil Rashid’s leg-spinners. Jofra Archer is in doubt for this series due to an elbow injury.

Probable Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal

England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Curran/Moeen Ali, Tom Curran, Mark Wood, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid

Captaincy Picks

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has been in unbelievable form. He missed the white-ball leg of the Australian tour and hence, returns to white-ball cricket after more than a year. India’s white-ball vice-captain has been a critical part of India’s setup in white-ball cricket. He has the ability to get huge scores and he can get them at rapid rates. He will be the one to watch out for.

Dawid Malan

Dawid Malan is a destructive player and he can be the game-changer at No. 3 for England. The left-hander has been in magnificent form and has a stunning record in T20Is. He has amassed 855 runs in 19 innings in T20I cricket and averages 53.43 while striking at 149.47. In addition to this, Malan has recorded nine half-centuries and one hundred. He was the player of the series in England’s 3-0 win in South Africa in December 2020.

Fan2Play Fantasy Cricket Tips

IND v ENG 1st T20I Fan2Play Suggestions

2-Player Team

Virat Kohli, Dawid Malan

3-Player Team

Rohit Sharma, Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal

4-Player Team

KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes

11-Player Team

KL Rahul, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya, Adil Rashid, Yuzvendra Chahal, Chris Jordan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

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