Valletta Cup 2021: Match 1: MAL vs GIB Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing 11, Pitch Report and Injury Update

Preview:

Valletta Cup 2021 is scheduled to be held between the 21^st and 24^th of October. The hosts Malta, Gibraltar, Bulgaria and Switzerland are the four teams featuring in this tournament. It’s a round-robin tournament, where the top 2 teams directly qualify for the finals.

Malta will take on Gibraltar in the first match of the tournament. Malta last played their T20I in September, where they finished 4^th in the Continental Cup 2021 after losing to Hungary in the third-place play-off. Gibraltar, on the other hand, featured in the Portugal Tri-Series in August, where they lost all the 4 matches they played. They are still amateurs at the international circuit, and it will be interesting how they going to perform in this tournament.

Match Details:

Malta vs Gibraltar, Match 1

Venue: Marsa Sports Club, Marsa

Date & Time: 21^st October, at 5:30 PM IST and 2:00 PM Local Time

Pitch Report:

The wicket is expected to be a neutral one. Having said that, the batters will get a better edge over the bowlers. Since it’s the first match of the tournament, the teams will be in dilemma, and hence, bowling first is a better option.

Probable Playing XIs for MAL vs GIB:

Malta

Basil George, Bikram Arora (c), Zeeshan Khan, Niraj Khanna, Varun Prasath Thamotharam, Samuel Stanislaus, Muhammad Bilal, Samuel Aquilina (wk), Amar Sharma, Washeem Abbas, Zoheb Malik/Jojo Thomas

Gibraltar

Luke Collado, Nikhil Advani, Kenroy Nestor, Balaji Pai (c), Louis Bruce, Chris Delany, James Fitzgerald, Patrick Hatchman, Morgan Peters, Richard Cunningham, Andrew Reyes

Top Picks for MAL vs GIB Dream11 Match:

Top Picks – Malta

Varun Prasath Thamotharam has featured in 15 T20Is where he has scored 314 runs at an average of 26.16, with the highest score of 104*. He has also scalped 10 wickets at an economy of 7.69.

Bikram Arora is the captain of the ship for Malta. He has represented Malta in 16 T20Is, where he has scored 363 runs at an average of 30.25, with the highest score of 66*. Arora has picked up 4 wickets as well.

Top Picks – Gibraltar

Chris Delany is a confident batter, who is known for hitting boundaries. In his 8 T20I matches, he has scored 188 runs at an average of 26.85. He has picked up a wicket as well.

16-year-old Louis Bruce is the player to watch out for Gibraltar. He has got an excellent start to his career. In his only 4 T20Is, he has scored 132 runs at an average of 33, with the highest score of 60.

MAL vs GIB Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for MAL vs GIB Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Heinrich Gericke, Kenroy Nestor, Chris Delany, Zeeshan Khan, James Fitzgerald, Bikram Arora, Varun Prasath Thamotharam (c), Louis Bruce (vc), Muhammad Bilal, Washeem Abbas, Morgan Peters

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for MAL vs GIB Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Heinrich Gericke, Kenroy Nestor, Chris Delany (c), Nikhil Advani, Niraj Khanna, Samuel Stanislaus, Varun Prasath Thamotharam, Louis Bruce, Muhammad Bilal, Washeem Abbas (vc), Richard Cunningham

Today’s MAL vs GIB Probable Winners:

Malta are expected to win this match.

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.

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.