Virat Kohli & Hardik Pandya Ruled Out: How to Change Your India vs Afghanistan Dream11 Team

Indian fantasy cricket managers have been caught off guard after reports came out stating that Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya may be absent for the India vs Afghanistan match. This development becomes extremely critical in terms of team selections and choosing the right captain since both are very popular picks in the Dream11 game.

This means that for users playing the Dream11 game, it is not just about picking replacements but balancing the team again. This is because while Virat Kohli is a reliable batsman who can build an innings single-handedly, Hardik Pandya adds points for bowling as well in addition to batting.

With this news floating around, fans should take another look before making their teams in the final few hours.

Why Kohli’s Absence Changes the Batting Strategy

It is safe to say that Virat Kohli was always a reliable pick for any fantasy league team in international cricket owing to his consistency and his prowess in scoring high against all kinds of teams.

The absence of Virat Kohli means that the pressure of batting now lies on players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav.

As a Dream11 player, this allows you to get better returns by utilising your batsmen, who now have the job of facing deliveries at their expense.

This makes Shubman Gill a very attractive substitute because of his performance and heavy scores in powerplays.

Why Hardik Pandya’s Absence Is Even More Complicated

Finding a replacement for Hardik Pandya is much harder compared to the replacement of a specialist batter.

Hardik is involved in all aspects of the game. He can score quick runs in the middle order, he can bowl vital overs, and he even earns additional points in Dream11 by taking catches and performing well in the fielding department.

In case such an all-rounder becomes unavailable for selection, players have to rely on another reliable choice from Dream11.

This means that players might have to turn their attention to other all-rounders who can perform well in different departments.

Depending on the playing eleven, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, or Shivam Dube can suddenly become important fantasy selections.

Who Should Become Captain Now?

However, picking the captain becomes very hard for fantasy players. It’s almost certain that several teams would automatically make Kohli or Hardik the captains. The void thus created gives a lot of room for thought.

Shubman Gill emerges as one of the best choices for captaincy owing to his position as an opener. More number of deliveries bowled will provide chances for earning fantasy points.

Afghanistan might choose to go with a spinner-dominated bowling lineup. In such cases, players like KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav could become excellent choices for captaincy owing to their scoring capability against spinners.

For those users who want a bit of differentiation, Afghanistan’s star players could also be considered.

How Team Balance Changes

Not having both Kohli and Hardik leaves enough room for some spending in Dream11. There is an opportunity now to focus on making more improvements elsewhere.

They can go for another premium bowler or buy a better batsman for the middle order or even get another all-rounder.

Instead of just replacing Kohli and Hardik with another player, most fantasy cricket managers will try to change their whole combination strategy.

It may prove critical in some cases in grand leagues, where differential selections win the day.

Players Who Could Benefit the Most

In case star players are unavailable, opportunities will be created for other players. When Kohli is not there, chances are that India’s top-order batsmen will get more responsibility and may face more balls.

Likewise, in case Hardik is not available, bowling chances will increase for other Indian all-rounders and seam bowlers.

This new pattern creates fantasy heroes with high scoring at times when less number of players own them.

Dream11 players who are able to spot such patterns have an edge over their opponents.

What Fantasy Users Should Do Before the Toss

The one rule that still holds its importance is to wait until the playing XI is confirmed. Users lose many contests due to the fact that they form teams based on assumptions and not on confirmed announcements.

The toss will bring much clarity in the matter of who would be making the last minute substitutions, the positions of batting, bowling, and the balance of the team.

Once the playing XI is confirmed, users need to reconsider the selection of their captains and bowlers.

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Conclusion

Their non-presence, however, has completely transformed the entire scenario for the clash between India and Afghanistan.

Although it is very difficult to choose other players in their place, this particular scenario can be quite fruitful too.

To have success in the clash, one will have to go beyond these popular heroes to maximize the benefit from the altered scenario in the fantasy league.

If, in case, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya don’t play in this particular clash, you will have to rethink your entire Dream11 team combination for India vs Afghanistan clash.