Fantasy: Spinners can rule in otherwise high-scoring Brabourne

Mumbai Indians will take on Gujarat Giants in Match 12 of the ongoing Women’s Premier League, 2023. Here are some helpful tips that may help you in creating an efficient fantasy XI. 

Pitch and Conditions

The wicket at the Brabourne Stadium had been conducive for strokeplay until it changed its nature for Match 10 between Mumbai and UP. The ball gripped and turned. 

Dr. DY Patil Stadium has assisted the pacers and Brabourne has gone in favor of the slower bowlers. 62.5% of the total wickets at Brabourne are picked by the spinners in comparison to only 36.9% at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium. 

Both sides have impactful spinners in their arsenal. Mumbai already have the best economy (6.7) and bowling average (10.8) for any spin bowling unit in the season. Their left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque is the highest wicket-taker of the season. 

Suggested teams

While you could go for the above team, you can also choose 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.

Captaincy suggestions

For small leagues: Nat Sciver-Brunt ( c ), Hayley Matthews (vc)

For grand leagues: Ashleigh Gardner ( c ), Harleen Deol (vc)

Stats That Matter

> Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews have been the most influential all-rounders in this tournament. Matthews has struck a golden arm, picking seven wickets to couple with her batting average of 56. Sciver-Brunt has been destructive with the bat. She averages 146 at a strike-rate of 150.5.

> Saika Ishaque has pouched 12 wickets in four games this season at an economy of only 5.9.

> Sabbhineni Meghana has managed only 34 runs in four innings of this tournament. 

> Sneh Rana is a doubtful starter having suffered a hand injury in the last game.

> Although Sophia Dunkley is Gujarat’s in-form batter, she has been dismissed four times by Hayley Matthews and thrice by Amelia Kerr in W-T20Is. 

Grand League Punts

> Ashleigh Gardner has had a mix-bag of a tournament so far but she could be Gujarat’s MVP in this fixture. Multiple reasons. She has dismissed both Hayley Matthews and Harmanpreet Kaur thrice in W-T20Is before. The Brabourne pitch has aided spin bowling. With the bat, she is due for a big one. 

> Harleen Deol is Gujarat’s leading run-scorer. She has mustered 133 runs including quick-fire scores of 67 and 46. Knowing she will bat number three, she is worth a punt as captain or vice-captain if you are aiming big. 

Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections 

Probable XIs

Gujarat Giants: Sabbhineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, Ashleigh Gardner, Dayalan Hemalatha, Sushma Verma (wk), Kim Garth, Sneh Rana ( c ), Tanuja Kanwar, Mansi Joshi 

Mumbai Indians: Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur ( c ), Amelia Kerr, Dhara Gujjar, Amanjot Kaur, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong, Saika Ishaque, Jintimani Kalita