FANTASY
Follow UsThe Supernovas will lock horns against Velocity on Tuesday, May 24, at the MCA Stadium in Pune in an afternoon encounter. Well, such has been the scheduling of the tournament that the Harmanpreet-led outfit will play their next game in less than 24 hours.
After coming agonisingly close to winning the trophy in 2020, the Supernovas will be keen to go a step further and lift the coveted trophy. However, they will be up against a young team in Velocity led by Deepti Sharma.
With Mithali Raj not part of the team, the all-rounder has been handed the responsibility of leading the side and will be keen to guide the team to their maiden title.
The Supernovas started the tournament in a commanding fashion and registered a 49-run win against the defending champions, Trailblazers in the inaugural game.
SUGGESTED TEAM
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
GROUND DETAILS
The MCA ground in Pune was one of the venues for the IPL and will host all the Women's T20 Challenge. With plenty of cricket being played at this ground in the last couple of months, the average first innings total is around the 172-run mark, and the average winning total is around 180.
The fast bowlers have enjoyed a lot of success at this venue and taken 115 scalps out of 160 wickets, which is 71.9 percent of the wickets compared to 45 wickets, which is 28.1 bu the spinner. On average, the pacers have picked up 4.4 wickets per innings compared to 18.8 by the spinners.
SUGGESTED CAPTAIN
Yastika Bhatia
With 178 runs in six innings at an average of 29.66 in the World Cup, Yastika was one of the top performers for the Indian side. After making her debut in Australia last year, the southpaw has performed consistently in the middle order to become one of the mainstays in the batting unit of the team. She will be keen to continue her sublime form with the bat and help Velocity kickstart their campaign with a win.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Yastika to score 40-60 runs in this match.
X-FACTORS
Deandra Dottin
One of the most destructive players in the shortest format of the game, Deandra Dottin, will be the key player for the Supernovas heading into this crucial game.
The right-handed batter smashed 32 off 17 deliveries studded with five boundaries and one massive six to power the Supernovas to the highest score in the powerplay in the history of the league. With a wealth of international experience, the 30-year old will be equally valuable for Harmanpreet Kaur in the back end of the innings with the ball.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Dottin to score 21-31 runs in this match.
Sophie Ecclestone
The Supernovas boast of a formidable spin bowling combination with Sophie Ecclestone and Alana King in their line-up. The left-arm spinner was the leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets in nine innings at the recently concluded World Cup in New Zealand. The number one ranked bowlers in this format will be keen to showcase her skills and weave her magic to help the Supernovas inch closer to the final.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Ecclestone to scalp 2-3 wickets in this match.
Natthakan Chantham
The young batting sensation from Thailand, Natthakan Chantham, will be featuring in her second season at the Women's T20 Challenge. In the T20 World Cup held in Australia in 2020, Chanthma was the leading run-scorer for the side, with 103 runs in four innings at an average of 25.57. She is the first batter to score a half-century for Thailand in the shortest format and will be the key player for Velocity heading into their opening game.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Chanthamto score 27-41 runs in this match.
