DHG vs GGD Match Preview
The batting for Dambulla Aura has been extremely disappointing, to say the least as only captain Dasun Shanaka has managed to cross the 100-run mark aggregate score.Openers Shevon Daniel and Lasith Croospulle were both dismissed for a duck in the latest match played against the Colombo Stars as Aura could muster a total of 89 after being invited to bat first.
There is nothing much to write about the bowling effort of the team too, as the opposition has just blitzed through the below-par bowling effort. Lahiru Kumara has picked up 6 wickets from his 4 appearances while Pramod Madushan has scalped 3 from his 3 matches.
After winning back-to-back matches against the Stars and the Falcons, the Gladiators once again faltered in their most recent outing, losing against the Colombo Stars by 2 wickets. Captain Kusal Mendis has by far been the best batsman in the squad, scoring 177 runs from 5 innings. He played a superb inning of 73 runs in the last game to lead the Gladiators to a huge total of 193 from their quota of 20 overs.
Asad Shafique, who was playing his first match of the season gave him good support and scored a fighting 58 off just 33 deliveries. Nuwan Thushara has been a good bowling asset for the Gladiators and is second on the top wicket-takers list of the tournament with 9 wickets. He has received decent support from Nuwan Pradeep, Wahab Riaz, and Iftikhar Ahmed.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to be overcast and humid, but the chances of rain are minuscule.The temperature is expected to remain between 25-30 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is a well-balanced one. It has a good and consistent bounce, allowing the batsmen to play their shots confidently. The average first innings score in T20 matches played here is around 150 runs and should be considered to be a par score.
Notable stats
Dasun Shanaka’s Explosive Batting
Dasun Shanaka has been a quick scorer for the Dambulla Aura. In the last 5 matches, he has scored 101 runs at a strike rate of 171 runs.
Kusal Mendis' Consistency
Kusal Mendis has been performing consistently well in the Lanka Premier League. In his last 10 appearances, he has scored 409 runs at an average of close to 41 and a strike rate of 147.
Team News
With no reports of any injuries from either of the squads, we are expecting to see an unchanged eleven from both teams taking on the field on Saturday.
DHG vs GGD Probable 11
DHG Playing 11
- Shevon Daniel
- Lasith Croospulle
- Jordan Cox (Wk)
- Bhanuka Rajapaksa
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Chaturanga de Silva
- Tom Abell
- Noor Ahmed
- Pramod Madushan
- Lahiru Kumara
- Paul van Meekeren
GGD Playing 11
- Thanuka Dabare
- Kusal Mendis (C)
- Lahiru Udara
- Oshada Fernando
- Asad Shafique
- Nuwanidu Fernando
- Imad Wasim
- Wahab Riaz
- Nuwan Thushara
- Lakshan Sandakan
- Anwar Ali
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Galle Gladiators to win this match. While both the teams bring up the bottom of the points table, the Gladiators look better placed to win this game due to a better balance of players. The bowling has been decent thanks to the wicket-taking abilities of Nuwan Thushara and Nuwan Pradeep, while the batting too looks in better shape thanks to players like Kusal Mendis.
Top Picks
Nuwan Thushara: Nuwan Thushara is the second-highest wicket-taker in this year’s LPL with 9 wickets. In the last 8 matches, he has picked up 15 wickets with a strike rate of 11 and an economy rate of 6.5.
Kusal Mendis: Mendis is the top-scorer for the Gladiators this season, with 177 runs. His knocks include 2 half-centuries and has a strike rate of 132.
Dasun Shanaka: While not in the best of forms this season, there is no denying the fact that Dasun Shanaka is a quality player for the Aura. The veteran all-rounder has scored 3499 runs in T20s and has also picked up 50 wickets.
DHG vs GGD Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: K Mendis (C), J Cox
Batters: A Shafiq, B Rajapaksa, D Shanaka, T Dabare
All-rounders: I Wasim (VC), I Ahmed
Bowlers: L Kumara, P Madushan, N Thushara
