ICC Dream11 Fantasy Preview: India vs New Zealand

India vs New Zealand
10.30 BST
Trent Bridge - Nottingham, England

Preview: India have started their Cricket World Cup 2019 campaign with back-to-back wins against South Africa and defending champions Australia. They will be high on confidence after dominating performances in the two games. However, the injury to Shikhar Dhawan will put pressure on the batting unit.

New Zealand, on the other hand, crushed India in the warm-up match before the start of the World Cup, and they will take some psychological advantage from that win. They also have plenty of momentum, having won three games on the trot. However, all those three games were against relatively weaker sides - Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and they have not been pushed too much in this edition so far.

The track here offers excellent batting conditions, but thick cloud cover prior to the match ensures that the seamers will remain excited. India have struggled against the swinging ball in the past, and if the likes of Trent Boult and Matt Henry can play to full potential, they might have a chance.

Predicted XI:

**India:**KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Vijay Shankar/Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

**New Zealand:**Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

Fantasy Team:

Wicket-keeper: MS Dhoni

Having a swift keeper behind the stumps is always an added advantage in the Fantasy team. They can fetch points with their performance with the gloves in addition to the points earned from batting as well. Dhoni has had a good 2019 thus far, and walks into the game with runs behind him. He scored 113 against Bangladesh in the warm-ups, and scored 34 and 27 in the next two games. He provides solidity to the middle order - chipping in with some quickfire runs or playing the role of an anchor in case of early wickets.

Batsmen: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Colin Munro

In the absence of Dhawan, the onus of the batting department will be carried forward by Rohit and Kohli from Team India. The former scored 122 in the first game and a fifty against Australia, while Kohli is coming into the match with a solid knock of 82. He is one of the best chasers in the game, and you will not want to miss picking him if India is chasing. Both have shown their skills in stiff conditions and will be needed to up their game again.

Williamson does not have the best record against India, but he is coming into the game with knocks of 40 and 79* in the last two innings. Colin Munro is a dangerous player who strikes at 104.95. Even if he stays on the crease for a few overs, the damage that he can cause will be immense.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav

All-rounders are always sought after in the Fantasy team, due to their ability to get points in both departments. Hardik Pandya is a must-pick in that regard. He is one of the best finishers at the moment, displaying his prowess with a quickfire 48 against the Aussies. Though he has not picked up a single wicket so far in the World Cup, his skills with the ball can in no way be brushed aside. He picked up 14 wickets in the Indian Premier League, and will be eager to chip in. Kedar Jadhav can be tricky to navigate in the middle overs. His slingy action puts the batsmen in two minds. He is also reliable with the bat, averaging 43.48 with a strike rate of over 100.

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson

A thick cloud cover is expected on match day, and, hence, four seamers have been picked. Jasprit Bumrah is a must-have irrespective of conditions due to his ability to pick wickets with consistent line and lengths. Bhuvneshwar Kumar relishes bowling in England and with the conditions conducive to seam bowling, he can have a field day. Both Indians have ten wickets between them with very healthy economy rates of less than five an over.

Ferguson has eight wickets and leads the tournament wicket-taking charts at an outstanding economy rate of 3.88, and he can spell trouble for the Indians if the conditions are overcast. Boult, however, will be the biggest hurdle. He caused all sorts of troubles for India in the warm-up game. With wickets fetching rich rewards in the Fantasy side, picking wicket-takers is always advisable. The four aforementioned players also can pick regular wickets and can be game-changers, both on the field and in the ICC Dream11 team.

Captain: Virat Kohli VC: Trent Boult

Alternate: Kane Williamson, Hardik Pandya