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MI Emirates overrated in Betfair markets
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Remember the UAE toss bias
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Giants should be skinnier
MI Emirates 3.505/2
Squad Kieron Pollard (c), Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Andre Fletcher, Imran Tahir, Samit Patel, Will Smeed, Jordan Thompson, Najibullah Zadran, Zahir Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Brad Wheal, Bas de Leede, Muhammad Waseem, Basil Hameed, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Craig Overton, Tom Lammonby, Dan Mousley, McKenny Clarke, Lorcan Tucker
Possible XI Waseem, Smeed, Pooran, Zadran, Tucker, Pollard, Thompson, Patel, Bravo, Boult, Farooqi
Verdict This lot are curious favourites. In a tournament which demands that one UAE player and an Associate player must be in the XI, Mumbai appear to have lost their midas touch of attracting the best. UAE opener Waseem is possibly the best option to ensure they follow the rules. Lorcan Tucker is a decent pick up. But Pollard is getting on and Thompson and Samit Patel are middle-of-the-pack all-rounders. this is not the calibre of squad MI usually come up with.
Desert Vipers 4.507/2
Squad Colin Munro (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Tom Curran, Matheesha Pathirana, Sherfane Rutherford, Sheldon Cottrell, Benny Howell, Ruben Trumpelmann, Mark Watt, Tymal Mills, Adam Lyth, Rohan Mustafa, Shiraz Ahmad, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Jake Lintott
Possible XI Hales, Munro, Billings, Mustafa, Chandimal, Rutherford, T Curran, Hasaranga, Howell, Cottrell, Trumpelmann
Verdict This is the franchise powered by CricViz data. Title returns with this data approach need to pick up. But they are very solid and should qualify for the play-offs, which run on an IPL-style format. A top two finish is a major boost with two attempts at the final guaranteed. Vipers might have to go through the hard way. They may be a batter light and Dinesh Chandimal in a key role doesn't impress at the odds.
Sharjah Warriors 5.509/2
Squad Moeen Ali (c), Dawid Malan, Evin Lewis, Mohammad Nabi, Chris Woakes, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen-ul-Haq, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Chris Benjamin, Mark Deyal, Bilal Khan, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Jawadullah, Marcus Stoinis, Jamal Todd, Joe Denly, Paul Walter
Possible XI Gurbaz, Lewis, Malan, Moeen, Stoinis, Nabi, Walter, Woakes, Naveen, Siddique, Meiyappan
Verdict This is a good, well-balanced squad. On paper. The key will be Moeen Ali hitting like he can and Marcus Stoinis being far more consistent than he was in the Bash. Dawid Malan is a bit of a worry with him set up to play an anchor role, a tactic that doesn't often pay dividends. UAE leggie Meiyappan is a decent signing.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 5.509/2
Squad Sunil Narine (c), Andre Russell, Paul Stirling, Lahiru Kumara, Charith Asalanka, Colin Ingram, Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Raymon Reifer, Kennar Lewis, Ali Khan, Brandon Glover, Sabir Ali, Matiullah Khan, Zawar Farid, Fahad Nawaz, Marchant de Lange, Dhananjaya de Silva, Connor Esterhuizen, Traveen Mathew
Possible XI Stirling, K Lewis, Asalanka, Dhananjya, Ingram (wkt), Russell, Narine, Akeal, de Lange, Rampaul, Sabir
Verdict Knight Riders may be trying to hide a UAE player. All-rounder Farid and Nawaz were bit-part in the UAE's T20 World Cup campaign and Sabir and Matiullah were not involved. The pace bowling looks weak for tournament venues where swing has been important.
Dubai Capitals 6.005/1
Squad Rovman Powell (c), Dasun Shanaka, Fabian Allen, Mujeeb Rahman, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chamika Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Sikandar Raza, Hazratullah Zazai, Chirag Suri, Daniel Lawrence, Jash Ginayani, Niroshan Dickwella, Fred Klaassen, George Munsey, Hazrat Luqman, Akif Raja, Joe Root, Robin Uthappa, Ravi Bopara, Yusuf Pathan, Ollie White
Possible XI Munsey, Dickwella, Rajapaksa, Powell, Raza, Shanaka, Karunaratne, Udana, Akif Raja, Mujeeb
Verdict Joe Root doesn't make our XI. We'l find out how tuned in Capitals are to this format if he makes theirs. Capitals have a great chance if they go for the power line-up as we have suggested. There is tremendous hitting ability with Rajapaksa, Powell, Shanaka and Raza. George Munsey is a good signing for the opening slot and looks certain to play as Associate. They should go close to a top two finish.
Gulf Giants 6.5011/2
Squad Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Dominic Drakes, David Wiese, Jamie Overton, Richard Gleeson, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, James Vince (c), Qais Ahmad, Ollie Pope, Aayan Khan, Sanchit Sharma, CP Rizwaan, Ashwant Valthapa, Tom Helm, Gerhard Erasmus
Possible XI Banton, Lynn, Vince, Hetmyer, CP Rizwan, Wiese, Dawson, Jordan, Gleeson, Helm, Qais Ahmad,
Verdict We're surprised the Giants aren't shorter. In our Cricket...Only Bettor tournament preview we picked Giants as the jollies on tissue prices and, therefore, the winners. The batting is stacked and the bowling is smart and varied. Chris Lynn's upturn in fortunes in the Bash is a major boost and David Wiese is a standout Associate pick. James Vince's captaincy is shrewd, too. In a tournament which is likely to be dominated by the chaser, outsiders are going to be consistently good value.