The Telugu Titans will take on the U Mumba in the second match of a PKL 11 double-header on Wednesday, November 20, at the Noida Indoor Stadium.
The Titans have won six out of their 10 games this season, and if they manage to add another tonight, it'll help them leapfrog the Jaipur Pink Panthers into the top half of the table. Not many expected them to even have a chance without Pawan Sehrawat against the Haryana Steelers, but they completely flipped the tables on the table toppers, obliterating them with a scoreline of 49-27.
Meanwhile, the U Mumba have fared even better this season, winning seven and tying one out of 11 games. A win tonight will take them to the top of the points table. They showed great composure to see a close game through to a win against the Bulls, winning 38-37.
This should be a fascinating clash, and on that note, let's look at the top three Surprise picks for this match.
#3 Ankit Jaglan (DEF) (TEL)
Telugu Titans' left corner defender Ankit Jaglan could be a powerful Dream11 differential pick for those willing to take the risk in this match. The Titans' extremely solid defensive effort against the Haryana Steelers does bode well for their future Dream11 prospects, and a left corner defender whose ownership is low is very rare in a good defensive unit.
While his record of 16 tackle points in 10 matches isn't the best, he did score three tackle points in their last outing against a quality Haryana raiding unit. He has a high points ceiling in tonight's fixture and could be a handy surprise pick.
#2 Shankar Gadai (ALL) (TEL)
The Telugu Titans dropped the misfiring Krishan Dhull for their clash against the Steelers, replacing him with all-rounder Shankar Gadai. The move worked wonders for them, as Shankar scored a High 5 deputizing in the right corner position.
Against a U Mumba raiding unit where the major raiding threat comes from the left-hand side, Shankar will be the main weapon in defense for the Titans. His long reach and assuredness with his ankle holds make him a potentially game-changing Dream11 option.
With ownership levels of less than 15%, Shankar could be a solid Dream11 surprise option.
#1 Manjeet (RAI) (MUM)
After becoming U Mumba's biggest signing at the PKL 11 Auction and making a slow start to the season, the experienced Manjeet is slowly coming into his own as we get into the most important phase of the tournament. He has scored 46 raid points and six tackle points in eleven appearances so far, and that includes 18 raid points and two tackle points in the last two outings.
Playing for what is the better team on paper, Manjeet could profit from gaining points for enforcing all-outs in addition to his multiple routes to points as a raiding all-rounder. He could be a powerful Dream11 differential for this match.