New Zealand takes on Sri Lanka in the 15th ICC Women's T20I World Cup 2024 match on Saturday, October 12. The Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host the contest.
This will be Sri Lanka's final match of this World Cup as they're out of contention for making the playoffs after suffering three successive defeats.
Chamari Athapathtu's side never got going in the tournament. After the surprise defeat to Pakistan in the opening fixture, they were well beaten in the next two games by Australia and India. However, they'll want to go out on a high and will look to take the attack to New Zealand.
The White Ferns will back themselves to make the semi-finals despite their heavy defeat to Australia in their last outing. They need to beat Sri Lanka in this match and Pakistan in the next to do so, and given the quality of their bowlers and the form of their opposition, it seems probable they do so.
Let's now look at the top three Dream11 differentials in this fixture.
#3 Georgia Plimmer (BAT - NZ)
New Zealand opener Georgia Plimmer could be a handy Dream11 differential in this match. The 20-year-old started this tournament on a fine note with an attacking 34 against India, setting the foundation for the White Ferns' convincing win. While she fell early against Australia, she'll back herself to play a similar attacking game in this match, and she could well see some good results out of it.
While she started as a middle-order batter, Plimmer has found her calling as an opener. While scoring runs won't be as easy in Sharjah, Plimmer certainly can do so. She is a high-risk, high-reward Dream11 differential pick.
#2 Fran Jonas (BOWL - NZ)
New Zealand bowler Fran Jonas made her first appearance of the tournament against Australia, but couldn't leave her mark on the game. The left-arm spinner went wicketless in her three-over spell, but with the change in conditions and the quality of opposition, she could be quite the menace to the Sri Lankan batters.
The 20-year-old has picked up 27 wickets in 35 innings at a solid economy rate of 5.98. The surface at Sharjah has only increased in its support of spinners since the start of the tournament. And given how fragile the Sri Lankan batters are, it'll be a huge surprise if New Zealand doesn't pick up seven to eight wickets irrespective of the result of the toss.
Having a frontline New Zealand bowler for this match with ownership levels of less than 20 percent is a huge steal, and Fran Jonas could be a powerful differential in this fixture.
#1 Ama Kanchana (ALL - SL)
Sri Lankan all-rounder Ama Kanchana put in a solid display in an otherwise tough outing for Sri Lanka against India. The seam-bowling utility player was one of the few bowlers who felt at ease on the Dubai track, and while she did go for runs in the death overs, she also picked up the crucial wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues.
She also played a handy 19-run cameo with the bat, and it's surprising to see her with less ownership after she put in such a solid all-round shift.
Her cutters and off-pace deliveries should work even better on a sluggish Sharjah wicket, and against a quality New Zealand bowling lineup, she's also very likely to be called on to bat.
With such a high points ceiling, Ama Kanchana is a wonderful Dream11 differential pick.
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