Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20: Semi Final 2, Gujarat vs Tamil Nadu, Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 2nd Semi-Final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20 between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu will be hosted by Just Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

The match starts at 9:00 AM local time (IST) (3:30 AM GMT).

Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

The second semi-final pits Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in a repeat of their previous Elite Group C clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Both teams were nearly unstoppable in the league phase although Tamil Nadu did come out victorious in their previous encounter. While Tamil Nadu is unbeaten in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year, Gujarat put in a professional performance against Delhi to seal a place in the semi-final.

On the other hand, TN qualified for the last four on the virtue of more wins than Punjab in the league phase with rain playing spoilsport in the quarterfinal. Their last encounter saw Murali Vijay and Abhinav Mukund lead the way for TN with a century stand to set the tone for the rest of the game.

Baba Aparajith has been the standout player for them with over 500 runs with a good batting depth in their arsenal. While Gujarat is the lesser fancied side heading into the game, the form of Bhargav Merai and Parthiv Patel bodes well for them. With international experience available on either roster, a tight encounter is on the cards with a place in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20 at stake.

Weather Condition/Report:

There is a possible threat of rain for this game with yet another knockout game in danger of being washed out. A cloud cover of 97%, according to AccuWeather is expected with thunderstorms on the forecast in the latter half of the day.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The pitch here has been on the slower side with the average first innings score reflecting the same. A curtailed encounter where bowlers may come into play with the overcast conditions on offer. Chasing will be preferred with rain playing a part in the game.

Average first innings score: 215 (In 8 completed 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy Matches in 2019)

Record of chasing team: Won – 5, Lost – 3

Injury and Availability News:

Ravi Ashwin has been added to Tamil Nadu’s squad and he will play this match.

Probable Playing XIs for Dream11 Fantasy

Gujarat:

Parthiv Patel (C & WK), Priyank Panchal, Dhruv Raval, Bhargav Merai, Manpreet Juneja, Axar Patel, Piyush Chawla, Roosh Kalaria, Chintan Gaja, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Karan Patel

Bench: Hardik Patel, Tejas Patel, Ripal Patel, Kathan Patel

Tamil Nadu:

Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Baba Aparajith, Vijay Shankar, Dinesh Karthik (C & WK), Washington Sundar,  Shahrukh Khan, Murugan Ashwin, T Natarajan, R Sai Kishore/Ravi Ashwin, K Vignesh

Bench: M Mohammed, Hari Nishanth, J Kousik, Abhishek Tanwar, N Jagadeesan, R Sai Kishore/Ravi Ashwin

Top Picks:

Parthiv Patel is in fine form with 429 runs in nine outings. Boasting of an average of 47.67, Parthiv Patel scored a fine fifty against Delhi to lead Gujarat to a semi-final berth. Roosh Kalaria has been their standout bowler with 21 wickets and looks good for more. These players can be picked in your Dream11 Fantasy side.

Dinesh Karthik has reinstated his credentials as an able finisher with the Tamil Nadu captain scoring 360 runs at a strike-rate of 128.57 in the middle overs. While his contributions have been critical to TN’s success, Baba Aparajith is another one to watch out for. Aparajith is the second-highest run-scorer this year with 526 runs in ten innings.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel, Axar Patel

Vice-Captain – Baba Aparajith, Roosh Kalaria, Vijay Shankar

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues for Dream11 Fantasy:

Keeper – Parthiv Patel (VC), Dhruv Raval

Batsmen – Bhargav Merai, Baba Aparajith (C), Shahrukh Khan

All-Rounders – Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar

Bowlers – Roosh Kalaria, Chintan Gaja, Murugan Ashwin

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues for Dream11 Fantasy:

Keeper – Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik (C)

Batsmen – Priyank Panchal, Manpreet Juneja, Shahrukh Khan

All-Rounders – Axar Patel (VC), Vijay Shankar

Bowlers – Roosh Kalaria, Arzan Nagwaswalla, K Vignesh, T Natarajan

Expert Advice:

With this not being a high scoring ground, the top-order batsmen and finishers are crucial in the context of the fantasy contests. The likes of Parthiv Patel and Baba Aparajith are bound to score some runs on this surface.

A number of established players are on offer for this game which might result in insufficient credits. Arzan Nagwaswalla, who is available for 8.5 credits, is a dependable pick given his tally of 17 wickets in the tournament so far. He should be picked in your Dream11 Fantasy side.

Probable Winners:

Both teams are equally matched on paper although the big match experience of Tamil Nadu’s players gives them the edge over Gujarat.

*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.