Mumbai vs Rajasthan player battles: Kieron Pollard meets a familiar opponent in Ravichandran Ashwin

Team Mumbai will take on Team Rajasthan in Match 9 of Indian T20 League 2022 at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday, April 2. The match will start at 3:30 PM IST.

Rajasthan and Mumbai registered contrasting starts to their latest campaigns, with the former claiming a 61-run win over Hyderabad and five-time champions Mumbai slumping to a four-wicket loss at the hands of Delhi.

One of the most entertaining fixtures in the past in the Indian T20 League, the latest Mumbai vs Rajasthan clash will see the latter return to the venue where they won the inaugural edition with late legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne as captain.

Mumbai vs Rajasthan key player battles

Kieron Pollard vs Ravichandran Ashwin

Kieron Pollard has been one of Mumbai’s biggest batting mainstays in the Indian T20 League, with 3,271 runs in 179 matches for the franchise. But surprisingly enough, the star all-rounder has had a hard time against Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

The pair have met on 10 occasions, with Ashwin dismissing Pollard four times in 37 deliveries. Kieron Pollard has managed to score 54 runs but the tally seems a bit underwhelming for a player of his calibre.

Kieron Pollard record vs Ravichandran Ashwin
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	Strike rate
10	54	37	4	145.94

Ishan Kishan vs Yuzvendra Chahal

Ishan Kishan’s battle against Yuzvendra Chahal will be a decisive one in the Mumbai vs Rajasthan fixture.

In five head-to-head meetings, Kishan has slammed just 47 runs off 25 deliveries while being dismissed on three occasions. Looking at the former’s strong start with the bat in Indian T20 League 2022, Yuzvendra Chahal will have the chief task to stop Ishan Kishan from notching another big score on the trot.

Ishan Kishan’s record vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	Strike rate
5	47	25	3	188.00

Shimron Hetmyer vs Jasprit Bumrah

Shimron Hetmyer is one batter who can play crucial knocks in the middle order for Rajasthan, and he showed a glimpse of his usual best in the 61-run victory against Hyderabad. Given the stakes at hand, Hetmyer will aim to improve his Indian T20 League record against Jasprit Bumrah.

In seven deliveries bowled by Bumrah, Shimron Hetmyer has hit just six runs while being bowled out twice.

Shimron Hetmyer's record vs Jasprit Bumrah
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	Strike rate
4	6	7	2	85.71

Featured photo: AFP / PUNIT PARANJPE

Maxwell, Pollard feature as Yuzvendra Chahal’s top victims: Know the full list

Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal rose to prominence on the back of his stellar performances in the Indian T20 League. Representing Team Bangalore under skipper Virat Kohli, Chahal grew leaps and bounds as a bowler before making his debut for the national team.

His spells are generally characterised by his courageous bowling mixed with subtle variations. The fact that he has played a lot of his T20 franchise cricket in the relatively small and batting-friendly M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore played a huge role in his development.

Known for bowling with flight in his bid to entice batsmen to go for big shots, Chahal boasts 229 wickets in T20s at an average of 24.67 which showcases his knack of collecting wickets in heaps. His T20I numbers read 63 wickets from 49 matches at an average of 25.30.

Chahal is currently ninth in the list of wicket-takers in the Indian T20 League with 127 scalps from 108 matches.

Batsmen dismissed most number of times by Yuzvendra Chahal in T20 cricket

Glenn Maxwell has found his nemesis in Chahal having fallen victim to the Indian spinner five times. However, the Australian won’t need to worry about Chahal in the ongoing edition of Indian T20 League since the two are teammates at present.

Another explosive batsman who the leg-spinner has got the better of several times is West Indian Kieron Pollard. Chahal has dismissed Pollard five times, which is just as many times he’s gotten Sanju Samson out as well.

Batsmen	Number of dismissals
Glenn Maxwell	5
Kieron Pollard	5
Sanju Samson	5
Jason Roy	4
Mayank Agarwal	4
Manish Pandey	4
Quinton de Kock	4

Going by the records, it is quite evident that Chahal has a tendency of getting rid of some of the most dangerous and explosive batsmen in world cricket, making him unique in the sense that he thrives under pressure situations, where others generally fail.

Featured photo : Money Sharma / AFP

High-flying Bangalore tipped to triumph over struggling Punjab - get predictions and create fantasy team

Punjab take on second-placed Bangalore in match 26 of the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, April 30.

Led by KL Rahul, Punjab have struggled for consistency as they have managed just two wins in their first six matches.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli-led Bangalore have established themselves as one of the title contenders so far, winning five of the opening six matches.

A win on Friday will take Bangalore to the top of the points table while six-placed Punjab will look to bring their campaign back on track.

Punjab vs Bangalore probable playing XI

Punjab went through a horrendous batting collapse against Kolkata in their previous encounter in Ahmedabad. The 2014 finalists were restricted to 124 for 9 as none of the batters could score more than 31 runs. The form of West Indies duo Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran have been a massive concern for Punjab. World number one T20 batsman Dawid Malan could replace struggling Nicholas Pooran in the playing XI on Friday.

Bangalore, on the other hand, are expected to retain their playing XI which won against Delhi on Tuesday.

Punjab predicted XI: KL Rahul (captain/wicketkeeper), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran/David Malan, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Bangalore predicted XI: Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wicket-keeper), Daniel Sams, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Punjab vs Bangalore prediction: Who will win?

In Punjab vs Bangalore head-to-head record, Virat Kohli’s side has won 14 of the 26 encounters. Meanwhile, Punjab have registered 12 victories. Additionally, Bangalore have won three of their last five matches against KL Rahul’s team in the high-profile league. Considering the form of the Bangalore side, they are tipped to triumph over Punjab at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.

Create fantasy cricket team with Punjab vs Bangalore

Top Tip: Best Batsmen

Punjab captain KL Rahul will be the player to watch out for against his former side. The 29-year-old has a staggering record against Bangalore, amassing 371 runs in eight innings at an average of 74.2 and strike rate of 155.23. He has hit one century and one fifty against Virat Kohli's side.

On the other hand, Bangalore will once again depend on AB de Villiers to put in a match-winning performance with the bat against Punjab. The 37-year-old has a great record against KL Rahul’s side, aggregating 710 runs in 21 innings at a strike rate of 159.19 with seven fifties.

Top Tip: Best Bowlers

In the bowling department, Punjab pacer Mohammed Shami is expected to be Bangalore’s biggest threat on Friday. Shami has bagged nine wickets in eight innings at a strike rate of 20.67.

For Bangalore, Yuzvendra Chahal is tipped to be the wrecker-in-chief for his side against Punjab. The 30-year-old has scalped 21 wickets in 14 innings against the opposition at an economy of 7.88.

Top Tips: All-rounder and Wicket-keeper

Bangalore possesses several top all-rounders in their line-up including Washington Sundar, Daniel Christian and Glenn Maxwell. However, India all-rounder Washington Sundar would be the preferred choice for the all-rounder spot due to his match-winning capabilities. Sundar has picked 27 wickets while scoring 217 runs in 42 Indian T20 League matches.

On the other hand, Punjab all-rounder Moises Henriques is tipped to bring all his experience into play against Bangalore. Henriques has a decent record against Virat Kohli’s side both with the bat and the ball. He is expected to play an important role for Punjab at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.

For the wicket-keeper position, AB de Villiers will be the preferred choice over KL Rahul. De Villiers is considered to be one of the best fielders to have played the sport. He has equally safe hands behind the stumps. The former South Africa captain has taken 110 catches and completed eight stumpings in the Indian T20 League history.

Now that you know the stats, head to SportsAdda's Fantasy Cricket, make your team and win prizes!

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

Chennai likely to end Bangalore’s unbeaten run - get predictions and create fantasy team

Table-toppers Bangalore take on second-placed Chennai in a mouth-watering Indian T20 League clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, April 25.

Bangalore remain the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far as the Virat Kohli-led side has won their first four matches of Indian T20 League 2021.

On the other hand, MS Dhoni’s Chennai have also looked in great form as they have won three out of their four matches.

Both Bangalore and Chennai will look to secure a win in this fixture to gain some much-needed momentum as they shift to a new venue.

Chennai vs Bangalore probable playing XI

While Chennai have won their last three matches on the trot after losing to Delhi in their season opener, the franchise would be a little bit concerned with the way their bowling wilted in their last match under the onslaught from Kolkata lower order comprising Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik and Pat Cummins. Furthermore, Dhoni will also be worried with the form of Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu, who have been guilty of throwing their wickets away. However, Chennai are expected to retain their playing XI against Bangalore.

For Bangalore, captain Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers are in red-hot form and they would look to continue their good form at the batting-friendly Wankhede track.

Their bowling department has been equally impressive this season as the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal have all contributed.

Bangalore are also expected to remain unchanged against Chennai on Sunday.

Chennai predicted XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (captain/wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Deepak Chahar

Bangalore predicted XI: Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Shahbaz Ahmed, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wicket-keeper), Kane Richardson, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Chennai vs Bangalore prediction: Who will win?

In the Chennai vs Bangalore head-to-head record in the Indian T20 League, MS Dhoni’s side has a clear edge over Virat Kohli’s men. The three-time champions have won 16 of the 26 matches played between these two sides while Bangalore have registered just nine victories. One of those encounters ended with no result. Additionally, Chennai have won three of their last five fixtures between the teams. MS Dhoni and his men are likely to be favourites for the clash due to their superior head-to-head record.

Create fantasy cricket team with Chennai vs Bangalore

Top Tip: Best Batsmen

Even though MS Dhoni hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons so far on his return to competitive cricket since the last edition of Indian T20 League, the 39-year-old has a stellar record against Bangalore in the league. Dhoni has amassed 823 runs in 27 innings at a strike rate of 141.89 with four fifties to his name. The former India captain is tipped to score most runs against one of his favourite opposition on Sunday.

For Bangalore, captain Virat Kohli will be the player to watch out for against Chennai. Kohli has hit eight fifties against MS Dhoni’s side in just 25 innings. The 32-year-old has aggregated 887 runs at an average of 42.23.

Top Tip: Best Bowlers

In the bowling department, Chennai left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja is tipped to be the wrecker-in-chief for his side against Bangalore. The Gujarat-born cricketer has bagged 20 wickets in 22 innings against the opposition at an economy of 7.24.

Meanwhile, Chennai’s biggest bowling threat will be leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The 30-year-old has scalped 12 wickets in 11 innings against MS Dhoni and his men.

Top Tips: All-rounder and Wicket-keeper

Chennai possess several top all-rounders in their line-up including Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Shardul Thakur. However, in-form England all-rounder Moeen Ali would be the preferred choice for the spot. Ali has scored 133 runs and picked four wickets in four matches this season.

For Bangalore, Washington Sundar has already shown why he is such a utility cricketer in the shortest format of the game. Sundar has already picked 27 wickets while scoring 204 runs in 40 Indian T20 League matches.

For the wicket-keeper position, AB de Villiers would be the preferred choice over MS Dhoni. De Villiers is considered to be one of the best fielders to have played the sport. He is equally a safe fielder behind the stumps. The former South Africa captain has taken 107 catches and completed eight stumpings in the Indian T20 League history.

Now that you know the stats, head to SportsAdda's Fantasy Cricket, make your team and win prizes!

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

Leaders Bangalore favourites against struggling Rajasthan - get predictions and create fantasy team

Having won their first three matches for the first time, Virat Kohli-led Bangalore will look to continue their unbeaten streak against Rajasthan in the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, April 22.

The 2016 finalists Bangalore have made a confident start to their campaign as they had defeated defending champions Mumbai in the season opener and followed it up by securing victories against Hyderabad and Kolkata to move to the top of the points table.

On the other hand, Rajasthan have been inconsistent in the tournament, winning one and losing their other two matches as they stand sixth in the Indian T20 League standings.

Sanju Samson and his men will look to return to winning ways and secure their second win of the ongoing campaign.

Bangalore vs Rajasthan probable playing XI

Bangalore talisman AB de Villers and new recruit Glenn Maxwell have decimated their oppositions in the first three matches. However, the franchise will be a little concerned with the form of their captain Virat Kohli, who has failed to convert his starts to a big one.

The team had also made an interesting decision in their last game against Kolkata as they fielded only three overseas players instead of four. With Bangalore playing in Mumbai for the first time this season, Daniel Christian is expected to return to the playing XI in place of Rajat Patidar.

Rajasthan, on the other hand, will once again depend on their captain Sanju Samson and opener Jos Buttler to click as a batting unit. Samson has been dismissed for low scores in the last two matches after he had smashed a scintillating hundred in their season opener.

Injuries to their two top overseas players - Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes - have also massively impacted the combination of the Rajasthan side. Additionally, another foreign player Liam Livingstone has left the squad due to bio-bubble fatigue.

The franchise may consider making few changes to their side against Bangalore. Their all-rounder Shivam Dube had another poor outing against Chennai and he may get replaced by Shreyas Gopal in the playing XI. Rajasthan might also bring back young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in place of Manan Vohra.

Bangalore predicted XI: Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wicket-keeper), Rajat Patidar/Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Rajasthan predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Manan Vohra/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube/Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Bangalore vs Rajasthan prediction: Who will win?

In the Bangalore vs Rajasthan head-to-head record in the Indian T20 League, both sides have won 10 games each in the 22 matches played between these two franchises. Two games ended with no results. However, Virat Kohli’s Bangalore have won three of their last five matches in the high-profile league. Considering the form of the Bangalore side, they are tipped to triumph over Rajasthan at the Wankhede on Thursday.

Create fantasy cricket team with Bangalore vs Rajasthan

Top Tip: Best Batsmen

Bangalore will once again depend on AB de Villiers to put in another match-winning performance with the bat against Rajasthan. The 37-year-old has a great record against Rajasthan, aggregating 648 runs in 19 innings at a strike rate of 146.6 with eight fifties.

On the other hand, opener Jos Buttler will be the player to watch out for Rajasthan with the bat. Buttler has scored 220 runs in eight innings against Virat Kohli’s side, at a strike rate of 151.72.

Top Tip: Best Bowlers

In the bowling department, Bangalore leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is tipped to be the wrecker-in-chief for his side against Rajasthan. The 30-year-old has bagged 16 wickets in 10 innings against the opposition at an economy of 6.05.

For Rajasthan, Shreyas Gopal is expected to be Bangalore’s biggest threat on Thursday. Shreyas has claimed 14 wickets in six innings against Kohli and his men.

Top Tips: All-rounder and Wicket-keeper

Bangalore possesses several top all-rounders in their line-up including Washington Sundar, Daniel Christian and Glenn Maxwell. However, India all-rounder Washington Sundar would be the preferred choice for the all-rounder spot due to his match-winning capabilities. Sundar has picked 26 wickets while scoring 204 runs in 39 Indian T20 League matches.

On the other hand, Chris Morris had shown why Rajasthan paid a hefty price for him as he had played a blitzkrieg innings of 18-ball 36 against Delhi to guide his team to a thrilling win. He is expected to play an important role both with bat and ball against Bangalore on Thursday.

For the wicket-keeper position, AB de Villiers will be the preferred choice over Sanju Samson. De Villiers is considered to be one of the best fielders to have played the sport. He is equally a safe fielder behind the stumps. The former South Africa captain has taken 106 catches and completed eight stumpings in the Indian T20 League history.

Now that you know the stats, head to SportsAdda's Fantasy Cricket, make your team and win prizes!

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

Yuzvendra Chahal makes 100th appearance in Indian T20 League

Team Bangalore spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, on Friday, April 9, joined the elite list of players to have played 100 matches in the Indian T20 League when he took the field in the tournament opener between Mumbai and Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Yuzvendra Chahal had made his Indian T20 League debut with Team Mumbai in 2013, but could appear only once for the record-winners across three seasons after being signed in 2011. Chahal moved to Bangalore in 2014 and has since played 99 games for the franchise.

The leggie has been one of the most consistent performers in the Indian T20 League, picking 121 wickets at an impressive economy of 7.67. He was, in fact, one of the main catalysts for his team last year when Bangalore made it to the playoffs. He picked 21 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 7.08 last year.

A HUGE milestone for our magician tonight, completing a century of matches in the #IPL!

Let’s make this a night to remember, Yuzi! #PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #MIvRCB #DareToDream pic.twitter.com/GguzaybrZq

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 9, 2021

Apart from his century of appearances in the Indian T20 League, the match against Mumbai is also his 200th T20 match. He made his T20I debut for the Indian cricket team in March 2016 after registering his best bowling figures (23 wickets) in the 2015 edition of the Indian T20 League.

The list of most appearances in Indian T20 League is still topped by Chennai captain MS Dhoni, who has played 204 matches since the inaugural edition in 2008. Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma sits second with 201 appearances. The likes of Dinesh Karthik (196), Virat Kohli (193) and Suresh Raina (193) complete the top-five list.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

Brett’s watch list: Possible Man of the Match contenders for 1st India-England T20I

England walk into the T20I series against India with their T20I specialists back. Led by their captain marvel in limited-overs, Eoin Morgan, the visitors will see a host of changes in the side that lost 3-1 in the recently concluded Test series.

India will welcome some limited-overs specialists as well, with Suryakumar Yadav and Rahul Tewatia in line for their international debuts. All these changes make up for an interesting series, which comprises five T20Is, and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing so many high profile match-ups on the field.

Picking just four names from a plethora of options is indeed a tricky task, but here are my picks for India vs England 1st T20I.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal’s credentials in the shortest format have been on a constant rise. He may have struggled for wickets in his last few T20Is, picking five wickets in as many games, but the home conditions are certainly in his favour. Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium is expected to assist batsmen more than the spinners in white-ball cricket, but Chahal’s ability to pick wickets in the toughest of conditions makes him an important asset to the Indian cricket team.

Hardik Pandya

All-rounder Hardik Pandya was phenomenal against Australia and was rightly adjudged the Man of the Series. His record at home, however, remains a worry. A pinch hitter who is rightly capable of turning the course of a game, Pandya has never scored more than 30 runs in a T20I innings at home. In fact, he carries an underwhelming T20I batting average of 10.38 in India, which makes this series extremely important for him with the Indian T20 League and the T20I World Cup coming up later this year. However, given his recent form, I’m expecting a few match-winning knocks from Hardik, especially if he gets to bat higher up the order.

Eoin Morgan

Captain Eoin Morgan is due a big inning in T20I given that his last half-century in this format dates back to August 2020; a 33-ball 66 against Pakistan. With England fielding a full-fledged squad in the shortest format, Morgan will indeed have less pressure with the bat and it may help him better his record. He has played 11 T20Is in India, where he has tallied 228 runs at an average of 25.33 with just one half-century to show for. I’m expecting the England captain to improve his numbers this time.

Sam Curran

I certainly agree with the fact that Sam Curran has been a better player since his tenure with Chennai in the 2020 Indian T20 League season. Though it could be because of playing under MS Dhoni, one cannot take away the kind of performances he has put in since then. Not only his contribution with the ball, but his big hits down the order are expected to help England immensely. Playing against India on their turf may well and truly be a demanding job, but Curran is someone who will deliver the goods. Watch out for him.

Feature image courtesy: SportsAdda

Related tags:

England India Eoin Morgan Hardik Pandya Yuzvendra Chahal Sam Curran Expert ColumnBinga's Tips

Yuvraj Singh booked by Haryana Police for ‘controversial’ Chahal remarks

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has been booked by Haryana Police in an eight-month-old complaint for making a "casteist slur" against Yuzvendra Chahal, officials said on Monday.

Hisar-based Dalit activist Rajan Kalsan filed a complaint in June last year, alleging that Yuvraj, who interacted with Rohit Sharma in a live video session on social media platform Instagram, degraded and defamed the Dalit community.

On Sunday, the 2011 World Cup winner was booked by the Hansi Police in Hisar district under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

In light of the controversy, the 39-year-old former all-rounder came out with an apology on Twitter after facing a massive backlash on social media.

pic.twitter.com/pnA2FMVDXD

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 5, 2020

"This is to clarify I have never believed in any kind of disparity, be it on the lines of caste, colour, creed, or gender. I have given and continue to spend my life for the welfare of people. I believe in the dignity of life and respect each individual without exception," Yuvraj had tweeted.

"I understand that while I was having a conversation with my friends, I was misunderstood, which was unwarranted. However, as a responsible Indian I want to say that if I have unintentionally hurt anybody's sentiments or feelings, I would like to express apology for the same," he added.

Yuvraj retired from international cricket in 2019, after representing India in 304 ODIs, 58 T20Is, and 40 Tests. In his glorious career, he had helped Team India clinch the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / STR

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Yuzvendra Chahal Yuvraj Singh

India tour of Australia: A look at some key stats ahead of 3rd T20I

The India cricket team will look to register their second consecutive T20 series white-wash when they take on Australia in the third and final game of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Virat Kohli’s men have already sealed the three-match T20I series with wins in the first two matches, and the Men in Blue will now go for a clean sweep in Australia. A win on Tuesday could see India managing a record back-to-back series whitewash as they arrive at the game with a 5-0 T20I series win against New Zealand earlier this year.

India have also extended their winning streak in T20Is to 10 games, thereby breaking arch-rivals Pakistan’s record, who had won nine T20I games on the trot in 2018. Team India’s last defeat in T20Is came against West Indies back in 2019, following which they have defeated Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia.

Furthermore, the Men in Blue have not lost an away T20I since February 2019.

India will also look to complete a second T20I series whitewash over Australia in their backyard after MS Dhoni's men had thrashed the hosts 3-0 in 2016.

Meanwhile, a whitewash for India against Australia will equal Afghanistan’s 11-consecutive win record as the team will move up to the second spot in ICC T20I rankings.

India vs Australia head-to-head count in the shortest format favours Virat Kohli’s men, who have won 13 matches of the 22 T20Is played between these two nations, with Australia claiming eight victories. Momentum is rightly on India’s side and they will look to clean sweep the T20I series. So with that being said, we take a look at some preemptive stats ahead of India vs Australia 3rd T20I:

Dhawan's away record a concern for Aussies

India opener Shikhar Dhawan surpassed MS Dhoni to become the country's third-highest run-scorer (1641) in the shortest format of the game following his quick-fire half-century on Sunday in the second T20I. Of those 1641 runs, a whopping 768 runs (46.80%) have come in away conditions at an average and strike rate of 29.53 and 143.82 respectively. Six of his 11 T20I half-centuries too have come away from home.

Shikhar Dhawan in T20Is:
Conditions	Match	Innings	NO	Runs	% of Runs	Avg	BF	SR	50
Home	27	26	2	702	42.78	29.25	592	118.58	4
Away	27	26	0	768	46.80	29.53	534	143.82	6
Neutral	9	9	1	171	10.42	21.37	154	111.03	1

Should Wade continue to lead Australia in T20Is?

Australia’s stand-in skipper Matthew Wade made his T20I captaincy debut on Sunday. Throughout his career across the shortest format, Wade has performed impressively as captain as compared to just being a wicket-keeper batsman. Additionally, Wade’s opening batting numbers have also been quite impressive in the last four years of T20s, amassing 1,134 runs at the average of 43.62 across T20Is. He has accumulated these many runs at the strike rate of 151.60, including a ton and 11 fifties.

Matthew Wade’s T20 comparison:
As Non-Captain	Metrics	As Captain
105	Match	25
88	Innings	24
1529	Runs	1001
21.54	Average	45.5
124.01	Strike Rate	156.41
0/7	100s/50s	1/10
100/50	4s/6s	88/37
7.95%	50+innings %	45.83%
12.98%	Boundary Balls %	19.53%

Yuzvendra Chahal’s inconsistent returns

After bowling a match-winning spell in the first T20 match of the three-match series, Yuzvendra Chahal recorded expensive figures in the second Australia vs India T20I encounter as he leaked 51 runs in his quota of four overs. Since 2019, the Indian leg-spinner has bowled at an economy of 9+ in nine out of 17 innings in T20I.

Highest percentage of innings with 9+ economy in T20s since 2019:
Players	Innings	Innings with 9+ economy	Innings with 9+ economy %
Mustafizur Rahman (BAN)	11	6	54.55
Yuzvendra Chahal (IND)	17	9	52.94
Lasith Malinga (SL)	14	7	50.00
Joshua Little (IRL)	12	6	50.00

Stats to keep an eye on:

3 - India have played three T20Is at this venue and won all of them.

8 - Virat Kohli has won eight consecutive T20Is as captain of India.

6 - If India manages to win the third T20I, it will be the sixth instance where Team India has inflicted a whitewash in a bilateral series with minimum three matches.

3 - Aaron Finch is three sixes away from completing 100 sixes in T20Is and can become the first Australian to do so.

1 - Virat Kohli needs one more six to complete 300 T20 sixes. Meanwhile, Dhawan requires one more six to complete 50 sixes in the shortest format of the game

1 - India will become the first team to inflict three whitewashes against the team playing at their own backyard (excluding neutral venues). Currently, India and England have two whitewashes to their name in a bilateral series of three or more matches.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Gray

Top fantasy picks for Australia vs India 2nd T20I

India and Australia played a scorcher of a game in the 1st T20I at the Manuka Oval on Friday. Ravindra Jadeja's heroics with the bat followed by an equally stunning performance by Yuzvendra Chahal and Thangarasu Natarajan with the ball guided Virat Kohli's men to a narrow 11-run victory.

There have been several happenings since. Australia have included Nathan Lyon into the squad, replacing an injured Ashton Agar while Cameron Green has been omitted as well. Their captain Aaron Finch is struggling with fitness too. For India, they are set to miss the services of Ravindra Jadeja for the remainder of the while-ball series.

So with that being said, here are two players from each team that we believe can help you in the fantasy league.

Shikhar Dhawan

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has been underwhelming in his last two outings, but his figures at the Sydney Cricket Ground pose some kind of threat. The 35-year-old has scored 104 runs in his last two games at the venue, albeit in the ODIs. It is needless to say that being a T20 specialist, Australia will have to lay a blueprint in order to get the better of him. Statistically, Dhawan needs just three sixes to complete 50 maximums in T20Is and 87 runs to reach the 8000-run mark in T20 cricket.

D'Arcy Short

D'Arcy Short was one of the few good performers for the Aussies with the bat, chipping in with 34 runs through a steady innings. He did put on runs but those figures came at an expense of a whopping 38 deliveries. Short's T20I shortcomings can be laid down with the fact that he has struggled to set the momentum in the powerplay overs. He takes a whopping 5.11 balls to score a boundary in that phase, but with captain Aaron Finch a doubt, Australia would rightly demand a speedy performance from the 30-year-old.

Yuzvendra Chahal

A lot was said about Yuzvendra Chahal's inclusion as a concussion substitute of Ravindra Jadeja in the first T20I, but the leg-spinner managed to deliver a Man-of-the-Match spell, picking three wickets for just 25 runs in four overs. Prior to the Friday's fixture, Chahal had just two wickets in his kitty against the Aussies in four T20Is, but the figure jumped to five in as many games after the first T20I of the three-match series. A three-wicket haul on Friday means Chahal is one of the four Indian bowlers who have picked three or more wickets against Australia in the shortest format. Safe to say he will certainly be a threat.

Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc has struggled with his line since the ODI series, but the fact remains that he is a potent weapon for the Australia team. On Friday, the pacer gave away 34 runs but picked two wickets as well, including that absolute scorcher against Shikhar Dhawan. Starc, in fact, has a great record against the Indian opener, having dismissed him twice in two innings while conceding a mere 11 runs. As things stand, he is three wickets shy of completing 50 T20I wickets for Australia. If he manages to pick those many scalps, he will become the first Australian to reach the landmark by surpassing Shane Watson’s tally of 48.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Gray