ICC World Cup 2019: Match 22, India vs Pakistan: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

The much-awaited fixture of the ongoing World Cup is here. India and Pakistan will lock horns for the first time since the Asia Cup last year where the Men in Blue trumped the opposition comfortably twice. However, a lot has happened off the field since then. The relationship between the two countries has been hampered following the Pulwama attack even as many suggested India to boycott Pakistan in the mega event.

All said and done, the fixture is going ahead as planned much to the delight of the fans. While India have enjoyed a decent break coming into this game thanks to washout against New Zealand, Sarfaraz Ahmed and his troops came second in Taunton when they faced Australia. Apart from the skills, it all comes down to how well these two teams handle the pressure of a high octane game on the day.

India will have to make a forced change at the top of the order. Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of a few weeks due to the thumb injury and thus KL Rahul will open the innings. The middle-order slot opens up then for either Vijay Shankar or Dinesh Karthik. If the conditions remain overcast, the management might be tempted to include Mohammed Shami at the expense of one of the wrist spinners.

Pakistan faltered in reading the pitch in the previous game. They missed Shadab Khan and the leggie should come back for the big game. He will replace Shaheen Afridi who was very expensive while the rest of the line-up is expected to be the same. There are question marks over Shoaib Malik’s form but Pakistan will need his experience in this crucial encounter.

Match Details

The 22nd match of the ICC World Cup 2019 will be played between India and Pakistan at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

The match starts at 10:30 AM local time (09:30 AM GMT) (3:00 PM IST).

The game will be live on Star Sports. Live streaming available on Hotstar.

Weather Report

The world has its eyes set on the Manchester weather for the last couple of days. There are chances of heavy showers on Saturday afternoon. But things will improve as the day progresses. Unfortunately, the forecast is not so promising. According to AccuWeather, it will rain at 10 AM and to make things worse, it will be mostly cloudy for the rest of the day with spells of showers also expected in the afternoon.

Pitch Report

Old Trafford is hosting its first match of the ongoing World Cup. However, it played hosts to Lancashire in the domestic One-Day tournament earlier this year which witnessed scores in a different range. Weather also played its part as DLS came into the picture in two out of four matches. If the conditions don’t improve drastically, the team winning the toss is expected to bowl first.

Average first innings score: 239 (last four domestic One-Day matches at the venue)

Record of the chasing teams: Won – 1; Lost – 3

Probable Playing XIs

India

Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Dinesh Karthik/Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.

Bench – Dinesh Karthik/Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Shami, Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik.

Pakistan

Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C & wk), Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir.

Bench – Shaheen Afridi, Imad Wasim, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain.

Team News:

Shikhar Dhawan is ruled out of this fixture due to a thumb injury.

Power Picks

Mohammad Amir in last 5 ODI innings in England:

Wickets:15

Average: 12.8

He has picked more than 2 wickets in all five innings.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain Options: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Babar Azam.

Vice-Captain Options: Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez.

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Wicket-Keeper – Sarfaraz Ahmed

Batsmen – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (C), Babar Azam, Asif Ali

All-Rounders – Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Hafeez (VC)

Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir.

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Grand/Mega Leagues:

Wicket-Keeper – MS Dhoni

Batsmen – Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (C), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman

All-Rounders – Hardik Pandya, Shoaib Malik

Bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Amir (VC).

Expert Advice:

You will have to pick two players with 8 credits to include the likes of Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, Babar and Amir in your team.

Rohit could be vulnerable against Amir if the ball swings. Instead, you can pick KL Rahul and also the likes of Bhuvi, Chahal and other Pakistan players.

Probable Winners

Team India is expected to win the match.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.