Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants: Preview, Prediction and Fantasy Tips

Alex Hales will be in action (Source Twitter)

The Desert Vipers will square off against the Gulf Giants in the twelfth match of the ongoing ILT20 in Dubai. 

Both teams have been clinical in the tournament so far and will be looking to continue their unbeaten streak.

Desert Vipers, under the captaincy of Colin Munro, won their first two fixtures chasing convincingly. They are coming into this match on the back of a massive 111 runs victory over ADKR, courtesy of Alex Hales' century. So, they hope to continue their winning form in the clash against the Giants and retain the top spot in the standings.

On the other hand, the Gulf Giants have also been unbeaten in the tournament so far, having won their first three games. As things stand, they are placed second in the standings.Therefore, their primary focus will be to maintain their unbeaten run, beating the Vipers and going to the top of the table with four wins in a row.

Match Details:

Date and Time: January 22, 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai|
Live Telecast & Streaming: Zee Network and ZEE5

Pitch Report: The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium has been balanced. There is always help for both seamers and spinners, with batters scoring big after spending some time. The first innings total is expected to be around 180. The team winning the toss will bowl first.

Probable Playing XI

Desert Vipers: Alex Hales, Rohan Mustafa, Colin Munro (c), Sam Billings (wk), Benny Howell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran, Sheldon Cottrell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shiraz Ahmed, Gus Atkinson

Gulf Giants: James Vince (c), Rehan Ahmed, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, Shimron Hetmyer, David Wiese, Ashwanth Chidambaram (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma

Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips

Wicketkeeper: Sam Billings
Batters: Alex Hales, James Vince, Gerhard Erasmus, Colin Munro
All-rounders: David Wiese, Wanindu Hasaranga
Bowlers: Chris Jordan, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Gus Atkinson

Captain: Alex Hales
Vice-captain: James Vince

Prediction

Even though both the teams have been unbeaten in the tournament and possess a balanced combination with their playing eleven, we predict Desert Vipers to get the better of the Gulf Giants and maintain their top spot in the league standings.

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