Preview:
Malta will host Gibraltar in a 2-match T20I series on October 25th. Both matches will be played back-to-back on the same day. Both sides have met recently in the Valletta Cup, where Malta had the better of Gibraltar by 61 runs. At the time of writing this piece, Malta had qualified for the finals of the Valletta Cup, where were to face Switzerland. Basil George, Bikram Arora and Heinrich Gericke are the key players for them.
Gibraltar, on the other hand, finished third in the standings of Valletta Cup. Balaji Pai and Louis Bruce are the players to watch out for them. Both sides have played continuous matches over the last few days and it will be interesting how they approach this match.
Match Details:
Malta vs Gibraltar, 1st and 2nd T20I
Venue: Marsa Sports Club, Marsa
Date & Time: 25th October, 1st T20I at 1:30 PM IST and 2nd T20I at 5:30 PM IST
Pitch Report:
It’s an out-and-out batting wicket. Having said that, there is scope for the bowlers as well if they pitch in the right areas. The scores above 150 are hard to chase on this wicket, and hence, batting first is a preferable option.
Also Read: RP Singh picks India’s playing XI for T20 World Cup 2021 match against Pakistan
Probable Playing XIs for MAL vs GIB:
Malta
Basil George, Bikram Arora, Heinrich Gericke, Varun Prasath Thamotharam, Deon Vosloo, Amar Sharma, Washeem Abbas, Samuel Aquilina, Niraj Khanna, Samuel Stanislaus, Muhammad Bilal
Gibraltar
Balaji Pai, Louis Bruce, Philip Raikes, Chris Delany, James Fitzgerald, Patrick Hatchman, Kenroy Nestor, Dave Robeson, Joseph Marples, Luke Collado, Charles Harrison
Top Picks for MAL vs GIB Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Malta
Heinrich Gericke had a good tournament with the bat in Valletta Cup. He is an aggressive batter by nature and has scored 328 runs in his T20I career, with the highest score of 91.
Basil George is a capable top-order batter. He has scored 131 runs in his 7 T20Is at an average of 18.71, with the highest score of 48.
Top Picks – Gibraltar
Louis Bruce is the player to watch out for in the future. In his only 7 T20Is, he has scored 293 runs at an average of 48.83, which includes 4 half-centuries.
Balaji Pai has a century to his name in the T20Is. In his T20I career, he has scored 262 runs at an average of 43.66 and has also picked up 8 wickets at an economy of 5.78.
MAL vs GIB Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Career T20I Stats |
| Heinrich Gericke | 328 runs |
| Basil George | 131 runs and one wicket |
| Louis Bruce | 293 runs and one wicket |
| Balaji Pai | 262 runs and 8 wickets |
| Varun Prasath Thamotharam | 384 runs and 14 wickets |
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for MAL vs GIB Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Heinrich Gericke (vc), Samuel Stanislaus, Basil George, Bikram Arora, Philip Raikes, Balaji Pai, Varun Prasath Thamotharam, Louis Bruce (c), Kenroy Nestor, Muhammad Bilal, Charles Harrison
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for MAL vs GIB Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Heinrich Gericke, Chris Delany, Basil George, Bikram Arora, Balaji Pai (c), James Fitzgerald, Varun Prasath Thamotharam (vc), Louis Bruce, Kenroy Nestor, Muhammad Bilal, Washeem Abbas
Today’s MAL vs GIB Probable Winners:
Malta are expected to win both matches.
