Preview
Things didn’t go that well for Kandy Tuskers following the draft… Their 3 main international picks; Chris Gayle, Wahab Riaz & Liam Plunket, pulling out of the tournament did put them in a precarious situation. But some great additions later on; in the likes of international stars Dale Steyn & Brendan Taylor, has boosted confidence among the Kandy fan base. They’d further hope for the speedy recovery of Sohail Tanveer to boost their chances of going all the way, but will it be too late for Tuskers by then?
Best XI
- Kusal Janith (C)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz*
- Kusal Mendis
- Brendan Taylor (wk)*
- Kamindu Mendis
- Asela Gunaratne
- Seekkuge Prasanna
- Dilruwan Perera
- Sohail Tanveer*
- Dale Steyn*
- Nuwan Pradeep
Tuskers will not have the luxury of picking their Best XI for the tournament starter on the 26th of November. Until the likes of Taylor & Steyn arrive and complete their quarantine, they will not be available to play. And given the situation of Tanveer is subjected to his recovery, Tuskers will have to start of with a different XI to manage phase 1 of the tournament.
Until then, in the absence of an international batsman in the squad, Priyamal Perera could be expected to fill the void of the No. 4 position. Indian super stars Pathan & Patel could feature in the starting line up together with Afghanistan paceman Naveen Ul Haq. Dilruwan Perera will make way for them, which will leave the spin bowling options thin, but given the green tinge in the Hambantota square, Tuskers will not mind a 4 man pace attack to start the tournament with.
Another critical decision would be on the sole spinner, which is a three-way tie among Embuldeniya, Dilruwan Perera and mystery spin of Kevin Koththigoda. But given the experience and the ability with the bat, Perera is likely to get the first nod.
Batting
At full strength, Tuskers will have probably the best top order in the tournament. Given the T20 records of KJP & Gurbaz, followed by Kusal Mendis and Brendan Taylor, Tuskers will depend heavily on the top 4 to build a solid platform for the likes of Gunaratne & Prasanna to come into play.
With the likes of young Kamindu Mendis, discarded international Gunaratne and veteran Prasanna, Tuskers middle order looks fragile. If the top order doesn’t provide them with the starts they’d like, it will be tough for the middle order to carry them through to good scores. On paper, all batsmen up to No. 7 can provide the fire power and if they click, they will be the Team to watch for in the tournament.
The pace attack of Pradeep, Steyn & Tanveer will be a treat to watch. They all are well capable of handling the new ball, as well as the death overs. On their day, they could be the opposition’s nightmare, but Tuskers will not want more than 1 of them to have a bad day at any given time. Until the arrival of Steyn & recovery of Tanveer, they will have to depend on the pace of Ul Haq, together with the swing of both Pathan & Patel.
Comparatively, their spin options looks lean. Tuskers will depend heavily on Prasanna’s leg spin, as well as on Gunaratne’s gentle off-cutters. They’d need one of Dilruwan, Embuldeniya or Koththigoda to have a great tournament. The ambidextrous Kamindu Mendis too is capable of filling in with couple of overs.
Sri Lankan starts such as Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Gunaratne, Prasanna, Dilruwan & Pradeep brings in a wealth of experience to the Tuskers line up. To be consistent would be the challenge, but its critical for the Tuskers, specially with the likes of Taylor & Steyn coming in late.
On any given day, any of the above could be the X-Factor and a game changer and there will be high expectations on the two Kusals, Pradeep & Prasanna to carry them through the tournament.
International Stars
Tuskers’ international superstars will bring in a wealth of experience from both international and T20 leagues around the world. The experience of Pathan & Patel will be key during the initial stages of the Tuskers’ campaign, while they will get a huge boost when both Taylor & Steyn join the team to carry them through phase 2.
All international stars will be relied on for consistent performance & at any given day, all of them are capable of providing the X-Factor. Tuskers will depend heavily on their international stars to be successful in the LPL 2020.
Tournament is critical for…
Asela Gunaratne- His Australia heroics, as well as the paddle sweep against Bumrah for a six at the Oval will never be forgotten. Wouldn’t Sri Lanka love to have that old Gunaratne back? If he wants to make a comeback, LPL 2020 will be crucial for him. Can he be the X-Factor for Tuskers this season?
Kamindu Mendis– One of the promising youngsters of late, Kamindu is capable of becoming a genuine all-rounder for Sri Lanka. He hasn’t got the best of opportunities to represent Sri Lanka, so this will be a good opportunity for him to make his mark and remind selectors what he is capable of doing.
Critical Success Factors
- Top 4 with Kusal & Kusal – Tuskers’ success will depend on the two Kusals. The breezy start of Perera and the controlled approach of Mendis together with Gulbaz & Taylor will be critical in setting the foundation for the hitters to come in
- Asela Gunaratne- If the Asela Gunaratne from Australia 2017 turn up, Tuskers will have a world class finisher & a genuine match winner
- Early wickets with pace; be it Pradeep, Ul Haq, Pathan & Patel, or Pradeep, Steyn & Tanveer, will be key for Tuskers in defending any opposition
IPL Comparator
Kings XI Punjab- Top heavy batting, dependency on pace and a fragile middle order. But on their day, they are a treat to watch!
Tournament Prediction
- Best Ranking- 2
- Worst Ranking- 5
They will be disappointed if they don’t make the Semi Final, but can Tuskers go beyond the Semi Finals?
About the Author
Dileepa Peiris is an ardent Cricket fan and has a keen interest for cricket analytics. Having come from a Management Consulting background, Dileepa is currently employed at a Technology giant in Singapore.
