thumbnail

PUNJAB VS. BANGALORE: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 26 | PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS

In match 26 of the Indian T20 League 2021, Punjab take on Bangalore at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Punjab have been a very inconsistent side in this edition of the tournament. They have struggled to put on good totals batting first in 3 of their last 5 games, which will be a major concern for the team. Skipper Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have scored most of the runs, whereas Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran have been struggling so far. Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh have been excellent with the ball. Chris Jordan and Bishnoi provided them with good support in the last game. Dawid Malan and Jhye Richardson might get a place in the playing XI to strengthen the respective departments.

Bangalore responded nicely to their first defeat in this year’s edition by beating a strong Delhi side in a thrilling game by a solitary run. It was an AB de Villiers special with useful contributions from the likes of Padikkal, Rajat Patidar and Maxwell. Harshal Patel continues to impress with the ball while Daniel Sams, who was brought into the side in the last game, did reasonably well. Expect an unchanged side for Bangalore in this game 

With both teams looking to get the 2 valuable points, expect a cracking game of T20 cricket at Ahmedabad on Friday.

Play fantasy cricket on Howzat

Match Details

  • Match: Punjab vs. Bangalore, Match 26
  • Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
  • Date & Time: Apr. 30, 2021, at 7:30 PM IST

Statistics

  • Head-to-Head Record: Punjab (14) - Bangalore (12)
  • Last 5 Games Record: Punjab (2) - Bangalore (3)
  • Average 1st Innings Score (Last 5 Games): 171 runs 
  • Chasing Record (Last 5 Games): Won 3, Lost 2

Probable Playing XI

Punjab

Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (C & WK), Chris Gayle, Dawid Malan, Deepak Hooda, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami

Bangalore

Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (C), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (WK), Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Weather and Pitch Report

Ahmedabad is expected to have clear and warm weather during the match. The temperature will be around 39 degrees during the game. 

The pitch at the Narendra Modi stadium is a little on the slower side. Although there is not much movement available with the new ball, the pacers will get some help off the surface. Batsmen are likely to target the relatively shorter straight boundaries but will need to spend some time in the middle before playing any attacking shots. Spinners will get help from the pitch mostly in the first innings.

Given the dew factor in the second innings, both captains will look to chase on winning the toss. A first-innings score of around 180 runs should be a competitive one.

Top Fantasy Picks

  • Mayank Agarwal missed out on playing a big knock in the last few games. He has scored 161 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 127.77. He has made double-digit scores in 5 of his last 6 innings and is likely to play a big inning here.
  • Chris Gayle has been very inconsistent and not at his usual best this season. He has scored 119 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 119 so far. He was dismissed on the first ball in the last game and will look to bounce back with a typical firework kind of an inning here.
  • Mohammed Shami is the most experienced bowler in the Punjab line-up. He was pretty economical in the last match, going for just 25 runs in his four overs with a wicket to his name. He has taken 7 wickets in six matches at an average of 24.14.
  • Virat Kohli has looked scratchy in the tournament so far. He has scored 163 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 126.35, including one half century. He will hope to spend more time in the middle and score a big one for the team.
  • Devdutt Padikkal has had a decent start to the tournament, with 188 runs at a strike rate of 154.09 in five matches. The youngster started brightly in the last game but got out while trying to score quickly in the powerplay overs. He will look to add one more big knock to his tally here.
  • Harshal Patel has been a key contributor to Bangalore's strong start in this season. He is the leading wicket taker, with 17 wickets at an average of 12 and an economy rate of 8.5. He has picked up wickets in the middle and final overs, restricting the opponents' total significantly.

Howzat Dream Team

  • Wicketkeeper: AB de Villiers
  • Batsmen: C Gayle, M Agarwal, V Kohli, D Padikkal
  • All-rounders: D Sams, M Henriques
  • Bowlers: H Patel, M Siraj, M Shami, A Singh
  • Captain: V Kohli/C Gayle
  • Vice Captain: H Patel/A Singh

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 in the coming days. 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!

Play fantasy cricket on Howzat