KOLKATA VS. HYDERABAD: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 49 | PREDICTION, PLAYING 11 AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Kolkata take on Hyderabad in Match 49 of the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday evening.
Kolkata revived their campaign with 3 wins from 4 matches after the league resumed in the UAE, but a final-over loss to Punjab has left their play-off hopes in the balance. Injuries to Andre Russell and Lockie Ferguson have stalled the momentum a little, and they now face a game against a side with nothing to lose. At present, they still occupy the 4th spot, with 10 points after 12 matches.
Hyderabad, who are already out of play-off contention, have endured their worst season since they joined the league in 2013. For the first time, they will finish a tournament with less than 6 wins. They currently sit rock bottom, with 4 points after 11 matches.
Match Details
- Game: Kolkata vs. Hyderabad, Match 49
- Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
- Date & Time: Oct. 3, 2021, at 7:30 PM IST/6 PM Local
Probable Playing XI
Kolkata
Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (C), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna
Hyderabad
Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Kane Williamson (C), Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul
Weather Report
The temperature should be around 32 degrees when the game starts, with quite a bit of cloud cover.
Pitch Report
The pitches in Dubai have traditionally favored slow bowlers, though there has been some joy for the genuine quicks as well. The average first-innings score during the tournament last season was 160. So far in 6 matches in 2020, only twice has the 170-run mark been crossed here.
Toss
The pitch tends to get slower and lower as the match goes on, and a total on the board is usually the way to go in Dubai. Teams batting first won 14 of 23 Indian T20 League matches played there in 2020, with another 3 games tied. But so far in 2021, there has been no discernible advantage at the toss, with teams chasing winning 3 of 6 matches.
Top Fantasy Picks
Wicketkeeper
- Dinesh Karthik has made 172 runs at a strike rate of 137.60. Those aren’t stellar numbers, but they compare favorably to Saha’s struggle to score at a run a ball.
Batters
- Nitish Rana has kept chipping away in a line-up otherwise short of runs and inspiration. So far, he has 310 runs at a strike rate of 130.25. With Russell likely to be missing again, he’ll be expected to provide some late-innings dynamism.
- Rahul Tripathi has been one of the shining lights in an otherwise inconsistent season for Kolkata. He tops the run charts for Team Kolkata with 349 for the season. More importantly, those runs have come at a strike rate of 143.
All-Rounders
- Jason Holder has played just five games, but a return of 9 wickets at an economy rate of 6.85 and 66 runs makes you wonder why he wasn’t used earlier. On bouncy surfaces, his height and accuracy make him hard to hit, and he’s more than capable of clobbering a few into the stands when he bats.
- Venkatesh Iyer was little known outside Madhya Pradesh when Kolkata sprung him into the competition when it got to the UAE. He has responded magnificently, scoring 193 runs at a strike rate of 141.91 and a highest score of 67. With the ball, he has kept landing his yorkers and has taken 3 wickets at an economy rate of 8.53.
Bowlers
- Rashid Khan has steadily put together another superb season even as most of his teammates have failed to turn up. His subtle variation in pace and turn continue to confuse the best in the business. A return of 14 wickets and an economy rate of 6.20 are ample evidence of why he’s Hyderabad’s most important player.
- Varun Chakravarthy picked up 3-13 against Bangalore in Kolkata’s first match after the restart, but what’s been most impressive is his control. His 13 wickets have gone hand-in-hand with an economy rate of 6.75. Few batters have managed to take him on with much success.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: D Karthik
- Batters: N Rana, K Williamson, S Gill, R Tripathi
- All-rounders: V Iyer, J Holder
- Bowlers: R Khan, B Kumar, S Narine, V Chakravarthy
- Captain: R Tripathi/R Khan
- Vice Captain: J Holder/V Iyer
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11, and play all the fantasy cricket matches from the Indian T20 League. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!
