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Fantasy Pick – Lead with Russell and Mendis
Dec 5: Kandy Tuskers vs Colombo Kings, Hambantota
Pro Tip: If Kandy Tuskers lose this game, they might have to depend on Galle Gladiators to qualify for knockouts. So, expect their experienced players like Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis and Brendan Taylor to deliver.
Our XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Laurie Evans, Kusal Mendis, Brendan Taylor, Asela Gunaratne, Andre Russell, Angelo Mathews, Isuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera
Substitutes: Qais Ahmed, Thikshila de Silva, Naveen-ul-Haq, Seekuge Prasanna
Player availability: Irfan Pathan and Dale Steyn are doubtful but 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: Andre Russell
One of the best T20 players of this generation, Russell has found form with both bat and ball in the tournament. He made 65* off 19 balls in a five-over game and scored a crucial 20-ball 32 in the last game which helped his side to chase down the target. He has also picked up four wickets in the last two games.
Vice-captain: Kusal Mendis
The 25-year-old pocket dynamo has been firing with the bat for the Tuskers in LPL 2020. His 188 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 140.29 make him their leading run-scorer. Against spinners, he has been a rock for them, scoring at an average of 59.50 and a strike rate of 140.oo.
Hot Picks
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: During LPL 2020, nobody has scored more runs in the powerplay than the young Afghanistan opener. His fearless hitting helped him score 123 runs in just 65 balls with nine sixes. He is yet to bat in the middle overs in the tournament though.
Laurie Evans: Evans scored a 33-ball 59 which included five fours and four sixes a couple of games back and is one of the top run-scorers for his team. He was also the top run-scorer for his side Surrey in NatWest T20 Blast this year where he scored 363 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 153.16.
Asela Gunaratne: For a bowler who bowls around 110kph, to be the most prolific bowler in powerplay is some stat. In the powerplay overs, he has taken four wickets in 27 balls while conceding just 30 runs. Overall, he is the joint-second leading wicket-taker in the tournament with seven wickets. In the limited chances he got with the bat, he has scored 96 runs in 65 balls so far.
Differential Picks
Dinesh Chandimal: He had a couple of Man-of-the-Match performances and a couple of forgettable games, but Chandimal is a proven performer and is likely to get you some points behind the stumps too.
Angelo Mathews: For his standards, Mathews has underperformed in the tournament so far. He has scored 35 runs in three innings and got just a couple of wickets. But he showed signs of coming back to his best form in the last game.
Alternate Scenarios
- Qais Ahmed or Naveen-ul-Haq can replace Dushmantha Chameera.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo