Russel Arnold helps you build a fantasy XI for the fifth game of the LPL (6:53)
Nov 30: Dambulla Viiking vs Jaffna Stallions, Hambantota
Pro Tip: Both teams are full of allrounders, and picking the right ones – check out our XI – should make a big difference.
Our XI: Niroshan Dickwella, Minod Bhanuka, Shoaib Malik, Avishka Fernando, Upul Tharanga, Samit Patel, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Duanne Olivier, Malinda Pushpakumara
Substitutes: Binura Fernando, Tom Moores, Anwar Ali, Paul Stirling
Player availability: Dambulla Viiking opener Oshada Fernando is likely to miss this game after he was stretchered off the field in the last game. We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so please finalise your team after the toss.
Captain: Avishka Fernando
We are sticking with the same captain for the Jaffna Stallions’ second match in a row. Avishka, the 22-year-old opener started cautiously in the last game, with just 10 from 20 balls, but switched gears after that to score 82 runs from 43 balls. His last four scores at this venue are 128, 55, 127 and 92* (all formats).
Vice-captain: Dasun Shanaka
Shanaka, the Dambulla Viiking skipper, showed his abilities in the last game with a match-winning 37-ball 73, which included eight fours and four sixes. His six-hitting ability stands out amongst his peers – 129 in 87 T20 innings. He is also handy with the ball, having picked up 23 wickets in 43 T20 innings.
Hot Picks
Wanindu Hasaranga: The young legspinner has bowled the most economical spell in LPL 2020 so far – 4-0-12-2 – and that too in a game where the opposition scored 175. Overall, he has 16 wickets in 13 T20Is so far. In the last ten domestic Sri Lankan T20 competition matches, he took 18 wickets and scored 199 runs.
Thisara Perera: The Jaffna Stallions skipper has played the most matches (277), scored the most runs (3425), and has taken the most wickets (236) in T20s among Sri Lankans. In the 2019 BPL, he picked up a five-wicket haul and also hit a couple of quickfire 40-plus scores.
Samit Patel: Patel started the tournament with a bang, scoring a 38-ball 58. He was a bit expensive with the ball, but is expected to come back strongly, given his T20 experience. He averages 26.29 with the bat and 27.21 with the ball in 293 T20s, which says volumes about his consistency.
Differential Picks
Malinda Pushpakumara: The 33-year-old left-arm spinner has been a tremendous performer in the Sri Lankan domestic circuit. He was the leading wicket-taker in the 2020 domestic T20 competition with 18 strikes in nine innings. Overall, he has 68 wickets in 41 T20 innings.
Shoaib Malik: Only three cricketers have played more T20s than Malik in the world. He has played 403 games and has scored 10,211 runs and has picked up 149 wickets as well. He top-scored for his team, Peshawar Zalmi, in PSL 2020 too, so he isn’t done yet. He provided a sense of calmness in his 27* during the successful chase in the last game.
Alternate Scenarios
Source: ESPN Crickinfo