Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2018-19: Maharashtra vs Uttar Pradesh: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh will lock horns in the Group E fixture of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy which will commence on 21st February. The two teams’ journey has been quite opposite in the ongoing season as Maharashtra made it to the quarters of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and finished in bottom part of their Group in the Ranji Trophy. Uttar Pradesh had exactly opposite in both tournaments and were knocked out of the Ranji in Quarters due to a record chase by Saurashtra.

The IPL sensation Rahul Tripathi will lead Maharashtra while Akshdeep Nath takes the responsibilities of Uttar Pradesh. The star batsman Suresh Raina has stayed far from the captaincy of the state team for a while now and will be part of the team as a player. Young pacer Ankit Rajpoot is the vice-captain of the side. The team has some exciting young players in all departments that powered their great run during the Ranji Trophy.

Match Details:

The Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2018-19 match between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh at the Airforce Complex Ground in Palam, New Delhi.

The match will begin at 9:00 AM local time (IST) (3:30 AM GMT). Streaming of this game will be available on Hotstar in India.

List of broadcasted matches from the tournament on Day 1:

Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD (Live Streaming on Hotstar):

Delhi vs Jharkhand and Kerala vs Manipur

Live Streaming on Hotstar:

Gujarat vs Meghalaya and Himachal vs Vidarbha

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Airforce Complex Ground in Delhi usually has a bit of help for the pacers in the morning. The venue last hosted T20s back in 2015 where the average score was 135. With quality batsmen in both the sides, the batting first side is expected to score around 150 and lose the game.

Average first innings score: 135 (Last 5 T20 matches)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 2, Lost – 2, Tied – 1

Probable XIs:

Maharashtra:

Rahul Tripathi (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Vijay Zol, Ankit Bawne, Naushad Shaikh, Nikhil Naik (WK), Divyang Himganekar, Satyajeet Bachhav, Vishal Gite, Samad Fallah, Hitesh Walunj.

Bench: Swapnil Gugale, Rohit Motwani.

Uttar Pradesh:

Priyam Garg, Samarth Singh, Suresh Raina, Rinku Singh, Akshdeep Nath (C), Upendra Yadav (WK), Saurabh Kumar, Shiva Singh, Ankit Rajpoot (VC), Mohit Jangra, Mohsin Khan.

Bench: Shubham Chaubey, Yash Dayal, Aryan Juyal, Nalin Mishra, Bobby Yadav, Ankit Chaudhary.

Injury and Availability Updates:

(Will be added when there is an update)

Power Picks:

Suresh Raina had a poor domestic 2017/18 season as he averaged around ten in the Ranji Trophy and low scores to start the Syed Mushtaq Ali. However, he returned to form with a hat-trick of fifties including an unbeaten record century. Uttar Pradesh will be hoping Raina will give the stability as he had a couple of good knocks in both Vijay Hazare and Ranji this season.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain options – Rahul Tripathi, Akshdeep Nath, Suresh Raina

Vice-captain options – Saurabh Kumar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Naushad Shaikh, Rinku Singh

Alternative Options – Ankit Rajpoot, Vijay Zol, Ankit Bawne

Playing XI #1 for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Nikhil Naik

Batters – Rahul Tripathi (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankit Bawne, Suresh Raina, Rinku Singh

All-Rounders – Saurabh Kumar, Akshdeep Nath (VC)

Bowlers – Satyajeet Bachhav, Shiva Singh, Ankit Rajpoot

Playing XI #2 for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Nikhil Naik

Batters – Rahul Tripathi (VC), Vijay Zol, Naushad Shaikh, Suresh Raina (C), Rinku Singh

All-Rounders – Saurabh Kumar, Akshdeep Nath

Bowlers – Satyajeet Bachhav, Mohit Jangra, Ankit Rajpoot

Expert Advice:

Choices to be made in the batsmen category will be tough due to the number of available options. Among the lot, the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Vijay Zol, Suresh Raina and Rinku Singh will be perfect as they are expected to bat in top four for their teams.

Probable Winners:

Uttar Pradesh is expected to start the tournament with a win against Maharashtra due to depth in all departments.

*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.

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