DHG vs JSK Match Preview
Phil Salt was the top-scorer for the Giants last season but will not be available this time around. In his absence, the batting department will be relying on youngsters like Haider Ali, Shevon Daniel, Kalana Perera, and Chamindu Wickramasinghe. Dasun Shanaka will once again lead the side. The team has brought in some experienced players in the form of Sikandar Raza and Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
Other big names missing from last year’s squad include Imran Tahir, who was the leading wicket-taker for the Giants, Nuwan Pradeep, Najibullah Zadran, and Niroshan Dickwella.
The defending champions have begun their latest campaign on a positive note, defeating the Galle Gladiators in their opening game.
Batting first, the top-order failed to provide the team with a good start. But the middle-order batsmen rose to the challenge and stabilized the innings. Dhananjaya de Silva, Shoaib Malik, and Dunith Wellalage all chipped in to take the Kings to a respectable total of 137.
The bowling was top-notch as the bowlers prevented the Gladiators’ batsmen from settling in. Leading the attack was Binura Fernando, who picked up 3 wickets, while Vijayakanth bowled a superb spell of 2-20 in his 4 overs. All eyes will now be on the performances of the big names in the squad.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to be cloudy and quite humid throughout the day, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 31 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The track at Hambantota is a good one to bat on, as it has a good and consistent bounce. The batsmen will be able to go through with their shots. However, as the match progresses, it will get a tad difficult due to the rough patches, which will help the bowlers, especially the spinners, get some movement.
Notable stats
Tharindu Ratnayake’s Economical Bowling
In the last 6 matches, Tharindu Ratnayake has bowled 18 overs at an excellent economy of just over 6 runs an over while picking up 6 wickets in the process.
Avishka Fernando’s Explosive Batting
Avishka Fernando has scored 287 runs in the last 9 games at a superb strike rate of 156 and an average of close to 36.
Team News
There are no reports of any injuries from either of the squads, and we can expect the best players from both teams to take the field.
DHG vs JSK Probable 11
DHG Playing 11
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Sikandar Raza
- Chamindu Wickramasinghe
- Noor Ahmad
- Bhanuka Rajapaksa
- Jordan Cox (Wk)
- Ramesh Mendis
- Lahiru Kumara
- Pramod Madushan
- Tom Abell
- Paul van Meerken
JSK Playing 11
- Avishka Fernando
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk)
- Thisara Perera (C)
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- James Fuller
- Shoaib Malik
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Dunith Wellalage
- Binura Fernando
- Vijayakanth Visyakanth
Dream11 Prediction
The Jaffna Kings should have no problems winning this one. They are in excellent form at the moment, and most of its players seem to be in good touch. On the other hand, the Dambulla Giants have brought on a couple of good players in the form of Sikandar Raza and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, but they seem to be lacking in match-winners here.
Top Picks
Ramesh Mendis: The all-rounder from Dambulla had a great outing last season. He scored 125 runs from 10 matches, and also picked up 7 wickets.
Maheesh Theekshana: Maheesh Theekshana is one of the best bowlers for the Jaffna Kings. He has picked up 13 wickets from the last 9 matches at an impressive strike rate of 16.5.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth: The young leg-spinner from Jaffna hasn’t played too many matches yet but has been quite impressive in the ones that he has featured in. During the last 3 matches, Vijayakanth has picked up 7 wickets while having an impressive economy rate of just 6 runs an over.
DHG vs JSK Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: R Gurbaz
Batters: S Malik, T Perera, D Shanaka, T Kohler Cadmore, A Fernando (C)
All-rounders: S Raza, R Mendis
Bowlers: L Kumara, V Viyaskanth, M Theekshana (VC)
