Nidahas Trophy 2018: Pre-series Combined Best XI

The Nidahas Trophy 2018 is all set to get underway on March 6. The hosts, Sri Lanka, will be taking on the pre-tournament favorites India in the tournament opener. The tri-series also involves Bangladesh as the third participating side. The tournament, that marks as the celebration of the Sri Lankan independence, will mark the end of the cricketing season for the participating teams.

Albeit many might see the series as a misfit in the calendars and the interest levels might dip as well, the teams are looking forward to the trophy nonetheless. The Nidahas Trophy 2018 comes wit different prospects for the different sides. Team India will enter the series with a young outfit. Playing under Rohit Sharma, they will be eyeing the tournament as an ideal platform to test the bench strength.

Meanwhile, the hosts Sri Lanka would hope to improve their recent records against the Indian outfit. Also, Sri Lanka have the best chance to end their dismal cricketing year on a high. For Bangladesh, the series comes as an opportunity to show they are competent against the top sides.

Their recent defeat against Sri Lanka at home would have certainly hurt them. For any team to win, the individual performances will be the key. Here is a list of such performers, who are expected to be the top performers in the series.

Here is the Pre-series Best Combined XI for the Nidahas Trophy 2018:

Openers (Shikhar Dhawan, Tamim Iqbal)

In the opening slot, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan looks like a perfect fit. Dhawan has been in a prime form in the recent times. He was the second leading run getter for India in the ODIs against South Africa. Dhawan continued his good run in the T20Is as well and played three top knocks in as many number of matches against the Proteas including a top score of 72.

The other opener who looks set to leave an imprint on the series is Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal. Tamim is the leading run scorer for Bangladesh in the shortest format of the game. Also, being the senior player, he will be expected to shoulder some serious responsibility in the series.

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Middle-Order (Kusal Mendis, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik)

The middle-order looks like a very heavy unit. Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis has been in prime form this season. He scored a brilliant 196 in a Test against Bangladesh recently. He then followed it up with scores of 53 and 70 in the two T20Is against the same opposition.

Indian veteran batsman Suresh Raina has been given an extended run in the Indian colors in the Nidahas Trophy 2018. Raina, who played a sublime knock of 43 in the final T20I against South Africa, would hope to recreate his batting magic in the series.

Manish Pandey is another exciting prospect who would see this as an opportunity to add more runs under his belt in the season. Pandey played a valuable knock in the second T20I against South Africa recently. He will be eyeing consistency as he heads in to the series.

Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik will have a lot to play for as well. Karthik is likely to fit in the side as the wicketkeeper in the absence of MS Dhoni. Karthik got only one match to play on the South African tour. He would be itching to score in the Indian colors.

Wicket-keeper (Mushfiqur Rahim)

Bangladeshi veteran Mushfiqur Rahim will be carrying a lot of hopes on his shoulders in the series. With clouds hovering over the participation of Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur fits in the side as the most experienced candidate. Also, he needs to up his game a little with the gloves as well. The veteran is expected to come all guns blazing.

Spinners (Akila Dananjaya, Yuzvendra Chahal)

Among the spinners, the name of Yuzvendra Chahal comes as the top pick. Chahal’s exploits in South Africa are known to all. He finished the ODI series with 16 wickets to his name. However, the T20 campaigns were not as fruitful. Chahal would be hoping to come up with an improved showing in the shortest format of the game.

The other spinner who could be a match winner is Akila Dananjaya. The young spinner recently scalped a five-for in a Test match against Bangladesh. Also, earlier in the season, he had rattled the Indian batting order in one of the ODI fixtures. He can be a very lethal performer in his own backyard.

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Fast bowlers (Jaydev Unadkat, Mustafizur Rahman)

In the pace bowling department, the two pacers who would find the tracks very helpful on the tour are India’s Jaydev Unadkat, and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman. Both bowlers are renowned for their cutters, which undoubtedly would be very difficult to negotiate with on the slow paced tracks in Sri Lanka.

Unadkat did not have a great time in South Africa but he will head in to the series as the leading Indian pacer. Meanwhile, Mustafizur’s story is no different either. He seems to have lost his form as well. But with the conditions favoring him, he would back himself to come good for his side.

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