Ranji Trophy 2019-20, Round 5, Elite Group A and B: Saurashtra vs Karnataka– Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The Round 5 Elite Group A & B fixture of the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 will be played between Saurashtra and Karnataka at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.

The match starts at 9:30 AM local time (04:00 AM GMT). Live streaming or telecast is not available for this match.

Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

Saurashtra, after enjoying a decent break, is set to host the in-form Karnataka in round 5 of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. The hosts were stunned by Uttar Pradesh in the previous game and got a much-needed break to shrug off the defeat. They will be hoping to get better of Karnataka who are on a trophy-winning spree this season. Karnataka have won two and drawn two so far in four matches and have 16 points to their name. They are only behind Punjab in the table who have 18 points.

Saurashtra, on the other hand, have been involved in outright result in all the three matches. They won the first two games before losing by an innings to Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka though will miss their skipper Karun Nair who is unavailable due to his marriage. Shreyas Gopal has been named the captain in his absence. Even Manish Pandey isn’t the part of the team as he is with Team India for the ongoing Sri Lanka series.

Weather Condition/Report:

The weather in Rajkot will be perfect for the first couple of days. The sun will be out and there should be no hindrance in the play. However, there are chances of rain with thunderstorms on Monday which might interrupt the action. The clouds are expected to clear on the fourth day.

Pitch Report

The Rajkot surface in Rajkot is always full of runs. The previous game witnessed the scores of 331 and 523 in the first innings. However, the pitch deteriorates and starts turning square late on the third day and then on the final day. It was evident in Saurashtra’s dramatic collapse on the final day against UP. The team winning the toss should bat first and score big.

Injury and Availability News:

Karnataka skipper Karun Nair is unavailable for this match. Shreyas Gopal has been named the captain of the side. Abhishek Reddy has also been left out of the squad.

Pavan Deshpande and KV Siddharth have been included in the 15-man squad for this encounter.

There is no squad update from Saurashtra.

Probable Playing XIs

Saurashtra

Harvik Desai, Snell Patel (WK), Cheteshwar Pujara, Sheldon Jackson, Samarth Vyas, Prerak Mankad, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Parth Bhut, Jay Chauhan, Kamlesh Makvana, Jaydev Unadkat (C).

Bench – Chirag Jani, Arpit Vasavada, Kushang Patel, Avi Barot , Divyaraj Chauhan, Vishvaraj Jadeja, Chetan Sakariya

Karnataka

Ravikumar Samarth, Devdutt Padikkal, Dega Nischal/KV Siddharth, Rohan Kadam, Pavan Deshpande, Shreyas Gopal (C), BR Sharath (WK), Abhimanyu Mithun, Ronit More, V Koushik, Prateek Jain.

Bench – Srinivas Sharath, Dega Nischal/KV Siddharth, Jagadeesha Suchith, Praveen Dubey

Top Picks:

Jaydev Unadkat has to be picked in your team. He has already picked 21 wickets in five innings with two five-wicket hauls. Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 145 runs in five innings and is an important player for Saurashtra. Harvik Desai can also score big (198 runs in 5 innings) while Dharmendrasinh Jadeja has shined in the all-rounder’s role. He has picked six wickets so far and has scored 159 runs in four innings.

Devdutt Padikkal is going through the purple patch at the moment. He has scored 372 runs in seven innings with four half-centuries. Shreyas Gopal is batting at six this season and his all-round skills can earn you more Fantasy points. With the ball, Abhimanyu Mithun and V Koushik (13 wickets each in six innings) have been on fire and should be picked.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Devdutt Padikkal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Vice-Captain – Abhimanyu Mithun, Sheldon Jackson, Jaydev Unadkat

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Sheldon Jackson, BR Sharath

Batters – Harvik Desai, Cheteshwar Pujara (VC), Devdutt Padikkal (C)

All-Rounders – Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Shreyas Gopal, Pavan Deshpande

Bowlers – Jaydev Unadkat, Abhimanyu Mithun, V Koushik

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Sheldon Jackson, Snell Patel, BR Sharath

Batters – Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravikumar Samarth, Devdutt Padikkal

All-Rounders – Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (C), Shreyas Gopal

Bowlers – Jaydev Unadkat, Kamlesh Makvana, Abhimanyu Mithun (VC)

Expert Advice

Saurashtra hasn’t announced the squad for this match and there might be a few changes in their line-up. Watch out for playing XIs before finalising your Dream11 Fantasy team.

If Arpit Vasavada is playing for Saurashtra, then you can pick him as he scored a century (134*) in his last innings and didn’t play since then for unknown reasons.

You will get the XIs on BCCI Domestic’s Twitter handle after the toss.

Watch out for Cheteshwar Pujara’s availability for this match. If he is not playing, remove him right away.

Probable Winners

Karnataka are the favourites to win this game. But if the pitch stays true to its nature, a draw is on the cards.

*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.