Match Details
Match: Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka
Date & Time: 6 Sep 2025, 05:00 PM IST
Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare
Tournament: Sri Lanka tour of Zimbabwe
Playing XIs: Not announced yet
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Recent form:
Zimbabwe: L-L-L-L-L (struggling to close games)
Sri Lanka: W-L-L-W-W (in better rhythm)
H2H (recent): ZIM vs SL – L, L, W, L (SL slightly on top)
Narrative: Harare has been balanced lately with an average first-innings score ~154. Toss winners usually chase here, and both pace & spin are in the game. SL’s top order (Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis) + pace (Chameera/Thushara) look in strong fantasy form. For ZIM, Brian Bennett and Richard Ngarava have been standout picks, with Sikandar Raza ever-reliable at this venue.
Win Probability (modelled from form + venue + H2H)
Team | Win Chance |
|---|---|
Sri Lanka | 60% |
Zimbabwe | 40% |
Pitch & Venue Analysis – Harare Sports Club
Overall: Balanced – make an even selection of batters and bowlers.
Avg 1st inns: 154 | Avg wickets/inn: ~6
Toss trends (recent at venue): Chase preferred ~90%; Wins Chasing ~70% vs Batting first ~30%.
Pace vs Spin (fantasy impact):
1st inns: Pace ~13.1 FP/over, Spin ~12.9 FP/over
2nd inns: Pace ~14.5 FP/over, Spin ~10.7 FP/over → Pacers gain when defending/closing.
Frequent C/VC at venue: R Ngarava, S Raza, B Bennett, D Chameera (recent sample).
Venue Fantasy Notes
Pacers with new ball/death are gold (Ngarava, Chameera, Thushara).
Anchor openers thrive chasing target 150–165 (Nissanka, K Mendis).
Raza carries dual upside (bat + 2–3 overs) and safe floors at Harare.
Last Match (3 Sep at Harare) – Fantasy Highlighters
Player | Role | FPts |
|---|---|---|
B Bennett (ZIM) | BAT | 155 |
D Chameera (SL) | BOW | 124 |
P Nissanka (SL) | BAT | 109 |
S Raza (ZIM) | AR | 96 |
K Mendis (SL) | WK/BAT | 87 + 82 (listed as BAT & WK) |
R Ngarava (ZIM) | BOW | 84 |
M Theekshana (SL) | BOW | 50 |
T Maphosa (ZIM) | BOW | 49 |
Takeaway: Bennett’s intent + boundary % is real; SL quicks dominated the phases; Nissanka is in purple patch.
Form Scanner – Last 5 Matches (Overall)
Zimbabwe – Top Fantasy Averages / Totals
R Ngarava (BOW): 452 pts (best: 154 vs NZ) – powerplay + death threat
B Bennett (BAT): 378 pts (155 vs SL; 121 vs SA) – form batter
T Maphosa (BOW): 301 pts – consistent 4-over returns
S Raza (AR): 265 pts – safe floor + venue record
B Muzarabani (BOW): 145 pts – middle/late overs enforcer
Sri Lanka – Top Fantasy Averages / Totals
P Nissanka (BAT): 364 pts – scores of 109, 94, 70, 54 recently
Kusal Mendis (WK): 305 pts – 133, 82 in the split
D Chameera (BOW): 257 pts – 124 last game
N Thushara (BOW): 225 pts – wicket-taking spikes (71, 47, 42)
M Theekshana (BOW): 190 pts – economy + wickets in PP
Powerplay & Death Overs Impact
Powerplay (0–6):
Ball: Ngarava (ZIM), Chameera/Theekshana (SL) – wicket upside.
Bat: Nissanka (SL) – strike rotation into bursts; B Bennett (ZIM) if opening/top-3.
Death (16–20):
Ball: Thushara (SL) cutters/yorkers; Ngarava/Muzarabani (ZIM) – strong finishing phase.
Bat: Raza/Burl (ZIM) finishing equity; D Shanaka (SL) if promoted.
MVP Picks (Safe C/VC pool)
P Nissanka (SL, BAT): Red-hot form; great chasing profile at Harare.
R Ngarava (ZIM, BOW): Venue specialist, PP + death; frequent C/VC here.
S Raza (ZIM, AR): High involvement; reliable at Harare.
Kusal Mendis (SL, WK): Ceiling innings in him; PP enabler.
Differential Picks (Grand League spice)
B Bennett (ZIM, BAT): Recent 155; if he faces PP spin well, massive upside.
N Thushara (SL, BOW): Death specialist; 2–3 wicket burst potential.
R Burl (ZIM, AR): Bat + part-time spin; catches often add.
M Theekshana (SL, BOW): PP control; benefits if ZIM bat first.
Suggested Dream11 Team (Small Leagues)
(Balance for a chasing venue; adjust after toss and XIs.)
WK (1):
Kusal Mendis
BAT (4):
Pathum Nissanka (C)
Brian Bennett
Dhananjaya de Silva / D Shanaka* (slot for SL middle-order form)
T Marumani (value if opening; else pivot to Charith Asalanka)
AR (2):
Sikandar Raza (VC)
Ryan Burl
BOW (4):
Richard Ngarava
Dushmantha Chameera
Nuwan Thushara
Blessing Muzarabani / T Maphosa* (choose one based on XI role & recent overs)
Captain: Pathum Nissanka
Vice-Captain: Sikandar Raza
Bench pivots after XIs: If Asalanka bats at 3, swap him in for Marumani. If Maphosa confirmed as full quota bowler, he’s a strong pick over Muzarabani in SL-heavy bowling builds.
Conditional Strategy & Final Tips
If Zimbabwe bat first:
Elevate Theekshana (PP vs ZIM top) and keep Thushara for death.
Consider Asalanka (better when SL chase mid totals 150–165).
If Sri Lanka bat first:
Prioritize Ngarava + Muzarabani/Maphosa for new-ball wickets.
Nissanka remains C/VC viable, but bowling combo gets extra weight.
Slow/used surface: Raza/Burl gain with 6–8 overs of spin between them; batting ceiling shifts to anchor types.
Chasing bias at Harare (~70% wins): Stack SL top-3 + one of Chameera/Thushara if SL chase.
Quick Lists
Consistency (Last 5 / role)
Very Safe: Nissanka, Raza, Ngarava, K Mendis
Stable Upside: Chameera, Theekshana, Bennett
High-Variance Differentials: Thushara, Burl, Asalanka, Maphosa
Avoid / Monitor
N Fernando, T Musekiwa – low recent FPts; play only if role changes (promotion).
Reminder: Update the final XI after toss. If Harare is tackier than usual, push an extra spinner (Raza/Burl + Theekshana) and make Ngarava the bowling anchor.