IN-W vs NZ-W Dream11 Team Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tip & Playing 11 Updates for Today's Women's T20 World Cup Match - Feb 27th, 2020

In the first game of an action-packed Thursday, India takes on New Zealand in one of the most awaited clashes of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020. Both teams are unbeaten in the competition although Team India is in a more comfortable position with a win against the hosts, Australia.

Although, India currently tops the Group A points table, they cannot take the White Ferns lightly with a wealth of experience and a certain Sophie Devine in their ranks. A win at the Junction Oval would be a big boost for either side's qualification hopes which makes this a must-win game. With all to play for in Melbourne, here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for IN-W vs NZ-W.

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IN-W vs NZ-W Teams

India Women:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Veda Krishnamurthy, Taniya Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Rajeshwari Gaekwad, Richa Ghosh

New Zealand Women:

Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Rachel Priest, Lea Tahuhu

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Playing 11 Updates

India Women:

The Indian camp is sweating over Smriti Mandhana's availability with this being a crucial game for them. She is likely to play at the expense of Richa Ghosh, which should be the only change to the side that beat Bangladesh on Monday. The batting unit revolves around the likes of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues with Harmanpreet Kaur holding the fort in the middle order.

With Veda Krishnamurthy and Deepti Sharma also coming up with useful knocks, India looks well-equipped. As for the bowling attack, India might ponder bringing in Radha Yadav with spin expected to play a crucial role in this game. The onus will be upon Shikha Pandey and Poonam Yadav once again to deliver with the ball as India look to seal their place in the final four.

Possible XI: Mandhana/Ghosh, Verma, Jemimah, Kaur(C), Deepti, Veda, Bhatia(WK), Shikha, Radha/Reddy, Poonam and Gaekwad

New Zealand Women:

No changes are expected from the White Ferns after an excellent performance against Sri Lanka. Like their opponents India, New Zealand also has a settled batting unit with Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine being critical to their fortunes.

They have sufficient batting depth with Amelia Kerr and Hayley Jensen adept at wielding the long handle. New Zealand also has a resourceful bowling attack with Jess Kerr's new ball skills, adding another dimension to their attack. With the experience of Lea Tahuhu and Leigh Kasperek to fall back on, the White Ferns eye a crucial win at the expense of the Indians.

Possible XI: Devine(C), Priest(WK), Bates, Green, Martin, Perkins, Amelia Kerr, Jensen, Kasperek, Jess Kerr and Tahuhu.

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Match Details

India Women vs New Zealand Women, Match 9

27th February 2020, 9:30 AM IST

Junction Oval, Melbourne

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Pitch Report

As seen in the tri-series between England, Australia and India before the T20 World Cup 2020, a decent batting pitch is on offer. The average first score in the three tri-series games held at the Junction Oval was 146 although there was considerable help for the pacers. With a few clouds expected to make an appearance, there might be extra swing on offer as well. Both teams would look to chase with 150-155 being a competitive total batting first.

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IN-W vs NZ-W Dream11 Tips:

Wicketkeeper: New Zealand keeper Rachel Priest is the preferred option ahead of Taniya Bhatia for this game. Although Priest hasn't been in the best of forms off late, she has a wealth of experience which should serve her well in familiar conditions.

With Taniya Bhatia batting lower down the order, she wouldn't be able to make a significant impact although her selection could make room for more established players in the side.

Batters: Shafali Verma and Suzie Bates are must-have players in the fantasy team. While Verma has provided blazing starts at the top of the order for India, Bates would be eyeing a big score after scoring only 13 runs against Sri Lanka.

Jemimah Rodrigues is also an excellent option while Maddy Green, who turned up for Brisbane Heat in WBBL 2019, can also be picked for her batting prowess. If passed fit for this game, Smriti Mandhana could also be chosen at the expense of Shafali Verma.

Allrounders: Sophie Devine is one of the premier allrounders in the women's circuit. Devine has already made an impact in the tournament with 75 runs and a wicket to her name against Sri Lanka.

While she warranties a spot in the fantasy team, the duo of Deepti Sharma and Amelia Kerr can also contribute with bat and ball on a wicket that should suit their skill-set. However, the spotlight will be on Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored a scintillating hundred against the White Ferns in the previous Women's T20 World Cup. With the Indian captain due for a big one, she is undoubtedly one to watch out for.

Bowlers: Poonam Yadav and her loopy leg-spin is the talk of the town. She leads the wicket-takers charts with seven scalps in two games and should pick a wicket or two in this game. Shikha Pandey has also impressed with five wickets to her name.

Along with Poonam, Pandey should also find a place in the fantasy team. Another fine selection would be that of Lea Tahuhu, who is one of the fastest bowlers going around the tournament. One could even opt for Jess Kerr, who is known for her ability to trouble batters with her swing.

Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur is a proven match-winner with her past exploits in ICC events being well documented. She should be backed to make an impact in the middle order as she is the preferred option as the differential pick alongside Suzie Bates. While one could opt for the all-round ability of Sophie Devine, Jemimah Rodrigues can also be backed to add some runs to her tally of 60 on Thursday.

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Dream11 Team Prediction

Fantasy Suggestion #1:

Rachel Priest, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Sophie Devine, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Poonam Yadav, Jess Kerr and Shikha Pandey.

Captain: Suzie Bates, Vice-Captain: Jemimah Rodrigues

Fantasy Suggestion #2:

Rachel Priest, Jemimah Rodrigues, Suzie Bates, Smriti Mandhana, Maddy Green, Harmanpreet Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Lea Tahuhu and Shikha Pandey.

Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur, Vice-Captain: Suzie Bates