Latest Updates on World Cricket

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Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Mohammad Kaif has expressed sympathy with the Pakistan cricket team amid heavy criticism they are facing for their embarrassing losses to the USA and India in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Kaif admitted that the Pakistan team performed extremely poorly in their first two Group A matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, but lamented a lack of support from fans and former players amid their struggles. However, the Men in Green defeated Canada by seven wickets in their third game.

Mohammad Kaif sympathizes with Pakistan amid heavy criticism in T20 World Cup 2024

Mohammad Kaif said on Star Sports: “The fans' prayers are not with them. There is a commotion there. Who is supporting them? Everyone is standing against them, whether you talk about their former players, I am watching everything, no one is supporting them, although they have played extremely badly.”

Well, the former Indian batter further pointed out specific instances of poor play, like Mohammad Amir's wides during a crucial Super Over against the USA and then their failure to chase a modest total of 119 in the next match against Team India.

Kaif emphasized that despite a massive win over Canada, Pakistan did not display a commendable performance that deserved praise. Furthermore, the commentator criticized the team's inability to handle pressure situations, citing instances where key players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed to capitalize on their starts in matches, and they lost the game.

They didn't do anything there for which you should praise them: Mohammad Kaif

He further noted, “In the first match, Mohammad Amir was bowling wides in the Super Over. It was extremely poor bowling. You lost that match because of bowling. In the next match, they couldn't chase 119. They batted badly and dropped catches. I understand they have defeated Canada but they didn't do anything there for which you should praise them.”

Meanwhile, Kaif recounted that Babar was set against India and could have won the match, and even Rizwan was also set, but still, the Men in Green lost the match because they crumbled under pressure. He said that Pakistan dropped catches and is unable to bat under pressure, which is adding to their woes in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

Will Luck help Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024?

The former Indian batter also mentioned Pakistan's historic luck in ICC tournaments, saying the Men in Green sometimes qualify unexpectedly despite inconsistent performances, all thanks to their luck. Kaif said that luck works in their favor at times when Pakistan qualifies for knockouts when they are virtually out, hinting at a similar miracle in this tournament also.

Kaif signed off by saying, “We have seen that many times. They haven't played well but luck favors them. If the Ireland vs USA match happens and Ireland win and Pakistan win the next match, both will be at four points and it will go down to net run rate.”

Notably, Pakistan will play their final T20 World Cup 2024 Group A match against Ireland on June 16 at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. They are currently ranking third in the Group A points table with two points.

 

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Former India pacer Varun Aaron spoke about the possibility of getting Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI for the game against Canada in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He believes that a wrist-spinner might get a chance because Hardik Pandya is performing the role of third pacer pretty well.

India have qualified for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024. They won three out of their three games in the tournament. They so far played all their games at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, where pacers played a huge role.

Coming into the T20 World Cup 2024, it was expected that Kuldeep Yadav would play all the games because the wrist-spinner was in staggering touch in IPL. But the conditions didn't allow him to play the matches as India went with three pacers at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

Now with India moving to Florida for their next game and then the Caribbean for the Super 8 stage, there are high chances that Kuldeep Yadav might find a place in the team. The pitches in Florida as well as the Carribean offer great help to spinners and Kuldeep Yadav could be handy for the team.

Varun Aaron believes that Kuldeep Yadav might get a chance to play and might play in place of Mohammed Siraj. He added that the presence of Hardik Pandya in the team allows the team to play an extra spinner in the team. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he explained:

"I think they might give Kuldeep a game. We're talking about giving Sanju Samson a game as well. I think between the two, Kuldeep is more favourable to get a game because they would definitely need his services in the West Indies, especially with the way Hardik Pandya is bowling, he could easily slot in as a third seamer, giving India that extra option to play a spinner in this game as well.

"So we see Kuldeep coming in instead of Siraj, not Arshdeep because Arshdeep is bowling really well at the moment. Could there also be a case of resting Bumrah for this one and let both Arshdeep and Siraj play? I don't think so, because Bumrah is in really good form and when you are in good form as a bowler and when you don't have any niggles, you would just want to keep playing and that's what we see in any big tournament."

I don't see Sanju Samson getting a look in - Varun Aaron

Varun Aaron also talked about the possibility of Sanju Samson getting a game. He claimed that the keeper-batter won't be getting a chance because there's no space in the team. He highlighted how the middle-order batters haven't got enough game time. He added:

"I mean IPL is a great example. Some of the teams have easily qualified but they don't take a rest, the big players don't take a rest because they want to take that momentum into the important stage of the tournament. The other name you mentioned is Sanju Samson, do you expect him to get a look in and if so, who does he replace?

"I don't see Sanju Samson getting a look in, that's because who is he going to replace? A lot of the middle order hasn't gotten enough game time, enough balls in the middle, so there's definitely going to be no change in the batting order I would say because a lot of the batsmen, especially playing in New York with tricky conditions like that, must be dying to go out and have a decent knock on a better wicket."

India will now be seen in action when they will take on Canada in their last league game on 15th July.

 

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Afghanistan had a dream run in last year's ODI World Cup in India. While they were expected to do well in Indian conditions, not many had expected them to do better than some of the powerhouses of world cricket.

The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side stunned the cricketing world with their performance in the 50-over World Cup. They started their campaign with two losses but were quick to bounce back. After losing against Bangladesh and India, Afghanistan opened their account in style by thrashing defending champions England.

They went on to defeat Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well. Afghanistan were in a strong position against Australia as well before a monumental double-century from Glenn Maxwell pulled off a miraculous win for the eventual champions. In the end, Afghanistan finished the competition in the sixth spot in the points table.

One man who got a lot of credit for Afghanistan's fearless display in the ODI World Cup was former India batsman Ajay Jadeja. Just before the start of the competition, Afghanistan had roped in Ajay Jadeja as a mentor, and the move paid off. Even during the competition, Afghanistan head coach Jonathon Trott credited Jadeja for the team's performance, saying:

"I think Ajay brings a lot of experience having played a lot of cricket in India. He's always a good sounding board with regards to conditions, venues and also the other subcontinent teams that we've played against."

Well, Ajay Jadeja is set to earn more praise after Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan's recent revelation. The ACB official has revealed that Jadeja did not take any fee from the board for his services as a mentor. "If you play well, that's all the money & reward I need," Jadeja told ACB.

Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja refused to take his payment from Afghanistan Cricket Board for his role as a Mentor for @ACBofficials during the @cricketworldcup - Reveals ACB CEO @NaseebAFGcric to Host broadcaster @ArianaNews_

@vijaylokapally @iRashidLatif68 pic.twitter.com/dGmIWXQQyx

— Devender Kumar (@asdevender_bbc) June 14, 2024

Afghanistan storm into Super 8s:

After impressing in the ODI World Cup last year, Afghanistan have performed brilliantly so far in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup as well. They have booked their place in the Super 8s from Group C ahead of heavyweights New Zealand. Afghanistan are currently at the top of the points table ahead of co-hosts West Indies who are in the second spot.

The Rashid Khan-led side began its campaign with a statement win over Uganda. They thrashed the T20 World Cup debutants by 125 runs to start their campaign in style before inflicting a famous defeat on New Zealand. After scoring 159 runs, Afghanistan bowled out New Zealand for just 75 runs to win the game by 84 runs. In their third game, they beat Papua New Guinea to seal their spot in the Super 8s.

 

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Hardik Pandya has been one of India's best performers in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 so far. Just days after the nightmarish campaign in IPL 2024, the India allrounder has proved worth his again with his brilliant bowling displays in the T20 World Cup.

All eyes were on Hardik Pandya after his struggle in the IPL but he has responded in style. He is India's highest wicket-taker in the tournament ahead of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. He has troubled the opposition batters with his line and length on the two-paced pitch in New York and will be looking to continue his fine run.

In 3 games so far, Hardik Pandya has picked up 7 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of less than 6. With the India vice-captain doing well in the T20 World Cup, former fast-bowler S Sreesanth has heaped praise on him and has compared him with Australia allrounder Marcus Stoinis.

"The way Hardik is bowling, he doesn’t look like a part-time bowler. He can pick the new ball, and he can bowl those cutters. I think he is doing what Stoinis is doing for the Australia team, getting those crucial wickets and bowling those crucial overs. I think it is very important for an all-rounder," S Sreesanth told ANI.

S Sreesanth on trolling faced by Hardik Pandya:

S Sreesanth also spoke on the trolling and abuse faced by Hardik Pandya during the IPL campaign. The fans had targeted him throughout the campaign to express their displeasure over Rohit Sharma being replaced as the Mumbai Indians captain by him. Hardik Pandya's struggle as a captain and all-rounder only made things worse for him.

Sreesanth said that the whole country is now supporting the all-rounder and also said that he cannot be compared with any other player. He stated that Pandya has the ability to win games single-handedly with his batting, bowling, or fielding. He also said that Hardik Pandya has the ability to keep players together, seemingly taking an indirect dig at Rohit Sharma over their matter at MI.

"When you play for the Mumbai Indians, then only Mumbai was supporting him, and when he plays for India, the whole country supports him. With all due respect to fans, the energy that he brings makes us love him even more.

"There is no comparison to Hardik Pandya. That person can win you matches with fielding, he can win you matches with bowling and he can win you matches with batting. His performance gets better when the match is good. He keeps the players together. So that is a great quality. The IPL is gone, and now India is playing. I will just say the IPL was practice match, and this is to win the World Cup," said S Sreesanth.

Meanwhile, India have sealed their spot in the Super 8s already by winning their first three group games. They will be taking on Canada in their last group game in Florida before flying to the Caribbeans for the next stage of the tournament.

 

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New Zealand pacer Tim Southee has come under scanner after the team's game against West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2024. The pacer has been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his antics during the game against the two-time champions.

Tim Southee has been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council for breaching Article 2.2 of the ICC code of conduct which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.” Notably, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Apart from this, Tim Southee has also received one demerit point to his disciplinary record. He breached the code of conduct at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on Wednesday during the game against West Indies, which New Zealand lost.

Tim Southee was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council for his antics during the 18th over of New Zealand’s innings. After the fast bowler got out, he smashed a hand sanitiser dispenser on his way back to the dressing room and came under the radar for his actions.

On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Alex Wharf, third umpire Richard Illingworth and fourth umpire Michael Gough levelled the charge against Tim Southee. The fast bowler agreed to the offence and hence there was no need for r official heading. The charges were levelled by ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees David Boon.

Tim Southee had a great outing with the ball in the match against West Indies. The fast bowler chipped in for his team at the crucial juncture of the game and returned with the figures of 2/21 but couldn't help his team win the game with his efforts.

West Indies defeats New Zealand by 13 runs

Asked to bat, West Indies were off to a worry possible start with the bat. They lost their five wickets for just 30 runs and came under immense pressure. However, it was Sherfane Rutherford (68*) who stood tall for his team under tough circumstances.

He held the one end despite wickets falling at the other and made sure he took his team to a competitive total. Crucial hands from Akeal Hosein, Andre Russell and Romario Shepherd powered the team to a total of 149/9.

New Zealand, in the chase, went on to lose Devon Conway early. Finn Allen (26) tried to take the aggressive route but wasn’t successful. Things got worse for the Kiwi as they lost Rachin Ravindra Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell early, reeling at 63/6.

West Indies bowlers after that kept chipping in with wickets at regular intervals. Glenn Phillips (40) and Mitchell Santner (21*) tried their best but couldn’t take their team home as New Zealand lost the game by 13 runs. With the loss, they sufferred an early exit from the tournanment as Afghanistan became the second team to qualify from their group.

 

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England women, on Friday (June 14), announced their squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. Both teams are set to play three ODIs against each other before locking horns in five T20Is.

The highlight of the squad is the return of Sophia Dunkley. The batter has earned the recall after impressing with the bat in the domestic circuit. Dunkley failed to find a place in the England ODI and T20I squads for the series against Pakistan last month. Before being dropped, she had struggled with her form during the tours of India and New Zealand.

She was later added to the ODI squad for the Pakistan series as injury cover but did not play a game. In the domestic circuit, Dunkley roared back to form in style and is the leading run-scorer in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. In five innings, she has scored an impressive 293 runs while playing for South East Stars. She also scored 194 runs in six innings in the 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup.

England squad for New Zealand ODIs:

Dunkley is the only addition to the England squad that played against Pakistan last month. Speaking on the squad for the New Zealand ODIs, England women's head coach Jon Lewis said:

"We have named the same squad who finished the recent series against Pakistan. I felt we played some solid 50-over cricket in that series and have had excellent results over the past 18 months.

"We welcomed Sophia Dunkley back into the squad at the end of the Pakistan series as her performance across the domestic game has been outstanding and she earned the right to be back in this squad through performance," added Lewis.

The three-match series between England and New Zealand is scheduled to begin on June 26 in Durham. The second and third games are scheduled to be played in Worcester (June 30) and Bristol (July 3) respectively.

England ODI squad:

Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Wyatt

 

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Former India cricketer S Sreesanth believes that wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will be more than happy to give back the No.3 position to Virat Kohli in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. He said that southpaw can adapt to any situation and can bat at any position.

India batter Virat Kohli has been allowed to open the innings in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The move so far hasn't worked as the premier batter has failed to get going and has bagged a series of low scores in the ongoing tournament, coming under scanner.

Virat Kohli has scored just five runs from three innings and has registered scores of 1, 4 & 0. The games were played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, where batting was difficult and hence he couldn't get going at all in the three games that he played while opening.

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant, who has been promoted to No.3, has looked the most settled Indian batter in the tournament. The left-hander is the leading run-getter for the team in the tournament and played an incredible innings under pressure against Pakistan, scoring 42 runs.

But with Virat Kohli struggling to get going, there has been a lot of talk about moving the batter back to No.3. Kohli has been sensational for India at No.3 and it's fair to say that there is no one better than him at that position.

S Sreesanth believes that Rishabh Pant will be happy if Virat Kohli goes back to number three. He pointed out that the keeper-batter doesn't look at the situation as he only plays the ball and would be happy to see Kohli score runs. Speaking to ANI, he explained:

"Pant is a player who can adapt to any situation. We have seen him bat at different positions. He is a brilliant player, and I think Pant will be happy if Virat goes at number three. Pant doesn't look at the situation, wicket or the bowler. He just looks at the ball. I think that is a quality that youngsters should focus on.

"I think he loves Virat, and he would love to see Virat score more runs. If Virat comes just before him, imagine the freedom that Pant gets, he might just hit the reverse sweep on the first ball. So that is Pant."

If anybody is going to challenge India, I think it is going towards, India vs Australia final - S Sreesanth

S Sreesanth is also elated with the way India is playing in the T20 World Cup 2024. He believes that India vs Australia will be the final and the 2021 winners of the tournament will be the only team that will challenge the Rohit Sharma-led side. He is hopeful of India taking revenge for the 2023 World Cup final.

"It feels good, and the way the team is performing it makes you remember the 2007 T20 World Cup. This time, Pakistan is going out, and India is moving forward. The way Bumrah and others are performing, especially in terms of character, India is way ahead.

"If anybody is going to challenge India, I think it is going towards, India vs Australia final. The result that didn't take place in the 50-over World Cup, I hope India takes revenge this time and we bring the cup back to India," he concluded.

 

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The start of the game between USA and Ireland in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has been delayed due to a wet outfield at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida.

The region received heavy rainfall this week and several areas were flooded as well. Fortunately, the rain gods showed mercy on Friday (June 14) but the wet outfield has kept any action at bay. The game between the USA and Ireland was scheduled to begin at 08:00 PM (IST) but could not start even by 10:00 PM due to the wet outfield.

The groundstaff members have been working hard to make the surfaces fit for the game but things are not looking very promising so far. Amidst all these, a photo of a ground-staff member washing his hands just near the pitch has gone viral on social media. The incident took place when both the umpires were on the field although the ground-staff member was standing behind them.

The five-over game can start at 2:19 pm local time.
#USAvsIRE #T20WorldCup #USAvIRE pic.twitter.com/jUkdMULjsf

— Shobhit kumar (@Shobhit110198) June 14, 2024

USA on the verge of qualifying for Super 8s:

If the game between the USA and Ireland is washed out, the former will join Team India in the Super 8s from Group A. It will also bring an end to Pakistan's campaign in the T20 World Cup so far.

India have already booked their place in the Super 8s by winning their first three games against Ireland, Pakistan, and USA. On the other hand, the USA are in the second spot with two wins from three games. They defeated Canada and Pakistan before losing to India.

Pakistan and Canada have one win each from three games while Ireland are yet to open their account. A washed-out game will mean the USA will reach five points and will advance to the next round. Pakistan can finish with a maximum of four points even if they win their group game.

The other teams to book their place in the Super 8s are Australia, Afghanistan, West Indies and South Africa.

 

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Scotland National Cricket Team is all set to host Australia National Cricket Team in the three-match T20I series in September later this year. Both the cricketing boards confirmed the schedule on Friday (14th July).

The T20I series between Scotland and Australia will begin from 4th September. The second match of the series between the teams will be played on 6th September. The last match between the two nations then will be played on 7th September.

All three games will be played at The Grange, Edinburgh. This will be the first time since 2013 that Australia will be traveling to Scotland. The two teams then clashed with each other in the ODI series and it saw Australia winning the series. They last faced each other in the ODI World Cup 2015.

Since the ODI World Cup 2015, Australia and Scotland will be facing for the first time in the T20 World Cup 2024. The match between the two teams will be played on Sunday (16th June) at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia.

Scotland Captain Richie Barrington talked about the upcoming series against Australia and said that he was fortunate to play the series between the teams in 2013. He said that his team will relish the opportunity of playing against the best and it'll be a competitive series. He said:

"It’s fantastic to have this home series to look forward to later in the summer, which should be a treat for all our supporters. I was fortunate enough to play in the Scotland side when Australia last visited in 2013, and although the result didn’t go our way that day, it was a tremendous occasion to be part of.

“Our players always relish the opportunity to test themselves against the best sides in the world, and we’ve shown good form in this World Cup so far, so I’m sure it’ll be an exciting and competitive series."

I’m really excited about the trip and the series in Scotland - Mitchell Marsh

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh also talked about the series against Scotland and said that he is excited for the series and the team is pumped up. He recalled how his brother Shaun Marsh played last time and also lauded Scotland Cricket for developing in leaps and bounds. He explained:

“I’m really excited about the trip and the series in Scotland, and I know the team is pretty pumped about it as well. My brother Shaun was lucky enough to play in the last game we played in Edinburgh and had nothing but good things to say, so it will be great to follow in his footsteps. Scotland have developed into a really good unit as we’ve seen at this World Cup. It will be a great privilege to play them on home turf.”

Coming to the T20 World Cup 2024 game between the teams, Australia have qualified for the Super 8 stage while a win for Scotland can take them to the further stage.

 

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Avengers and Kings will take the field against each other in the 7th match of Pondicherry T10 Men 2024. In this article, we look at AVE vs KGS Dream11 Prediction Today Match, AVE vs KGS Dream11 Team Today, Playing 11s, and Pitch Report.

AVE vs KGS Pondicherry T10 Men Match 7 Preview:

The Avengers have successfully won their opening match and are currently fourth in the league standings. Similarly, the Kings have also claimed victory in their first game, placing them just ahead at third on the points table.

AVE vs KGS Head-to-Head Record:

Teams	Matches Won
Avengers	0
Kings	0

AVE vs KGS Pondicherry T10 Men Match 7 Weather & Pitch Report:

Temperature	26°C
Weather Forecast	Clear Sky
Pitch Behaviour	Batting-friendly
Best Suited To	Pace
Average 1st innings score	111

Record of chasing teams:

Records	Excellent
Winning %	80%

AVE vs KGS Pondicherry T10 Men Match 7 Squads:

Avengers Squad: Gautam Shastry, Divyanshu Yadav, Mohit Kale, Rajashekar Reddy, Vinay Pratap Singh, Ajay Rohera©(wk), Utkarsh Sahu, Arshil Rajendra, Aman Ahuja, Prateesh Saraswat, M Selvam

Kings Squad: N Ameer Zeeshan, Vikram Kumar, Premraj Rajavelu©, Kalaiyamudhan P, Dharshan Rajgopal N(wk), Sunil Bishnoi, Mahattheesh K Kuppusamy, Sabhay Chadha, Sreeraj J R, Rishi Raut, SB Sai Chetan, Pragatheswaran B

AVE vs KGS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Players Stats:

Player	Players Stats (last match)
JR Sreeraj	7 runs and 2 wickets
Premraj Rajavelu	27 runs
Rajashekar Reddy	17 runs
Ameer Zeeshan-N	2 runs

Hot Picks for AVE vs KGS Dream11 Prediction and Fantasy Cricket Tips:

Captaincy Picks:

Ameer Zeeshan-N

JR Sreeraj

Top Picks:

Premraj Rajavelu

Rajashekar Reddy

Budget Picks:

Divyanshu Yadav

Arshil Rajendra

AVE vs KGS Pondicherry T10 Men Match 7 Captain and Vice-captain Choices:

Captain	Ameer Zeeshan N & Premraj Rajavelu
Vice-Captain	Rajashekar Reddy & Vikram Kumar

AVE vs KGS Dream11 Prediction Team 1:

• Keeper — Sunil Bishnoi
• Batsmen — Rajashekar Reddy (vc), Premraj Rajavelu
• All-rounders — Ameer Zeeshan-N (c), JR Sreeraj, Vikram Kumar, Divyanshu Yadav
• Bowlers — Vinay Pratap Singh-I, Rishi Raut, Aman Ahuja, Arshil Rajendra

AVE vs KGS Dream11 Prediction Team 2:

• Keepers — Sunil Bishnoi, Ajay Rohera
• Batsmen — Rajashekar Reddy, Premraj Rajavelu (c), P Kalaiyamudhan
• All-rounders — Ameer Zeeshan-N, JR Sreeraj, Vikram Kumar (vc)
• Bowlers — Vinay Pratap Singh-I, Rishi Raut, Aman Ahuja

AVE vs KGS Dream11 Prediction Today Match 7 Pondicherry T10 Men Players to Avoid:

Players	Dream11 Credits	Dream11 Points (Last match)
Selvam-M	6.0 credits	4 points
P Kalaiyamudhan	7.0 credits	29 points

AVE vs KGS Dream11 Prediction Today Match 7 Pondicherry T10 Men Expert Advice:

SL Captaincy Choice	Ameer Zeeshan N
GL Captaincy Choice	Premraj Rajavelu
Punt Picks	Ajay Rohera and Arshil Rajendra
Dream11 Combination	1-2-4-4