India and West Indies continue to be at loggerheads, while Australia have a more defiant tourist coming their way in the form of New Zealand. Pakistan, meanwhile, are set to play in their backyard after a 10-year gap.
Some engaging cricket coming your way this week and Moneyball fantasy managers will need some help in identifying crucial player picks. No worries, though, as we have a list of power-packed players ready.
VIRAT KOHLI
Country: India
Match/Series: India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I and 1st ODI
The Indian skipper rolled back the years last week with his aggressive persona and hefty celebrations as India gunned down 208 at Hyderabad. In Thiruvananthapuram, his failure is only likely to spark off a bigger performance given Kesrick Williams' in-your-face celebrations.
Kohli averages a whopping 66 in T20Is in 2019 and 64.4 in ODIs in 2019. India are set to play the last T20I and the first ODI this week against the Windies and the Indian skipper is your bankable player for either game.
Read | India vs West Indies 2nd T20I: Five things we learned
DAVID WARNER
Country: Australia
Match/Series: Australia v New Zealand, 1st Test
New Zealand might be in red hot form in Test cricket, but so is David Warner. After a blistering 335* in the pink ball Test at Adelaide, Warner is buzzing again after his Ashes debacles. Australia brings out the best in the pocket-sized opener who averages 66.46 at home, with 17 of his 23 Test hundreds coming here. Even with the attack New Zealand have, Warner remains their biggest obstacle.
NICHOLAS POORAN
Country: West Indies
Match/Series: India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I and 1st ODI
Pooran is an incredible batsman in limited-overs cricket and he showcased a lot of that against Afghanistan in the recent ODI series before he got banned. Returning to the fold during the second T20I against India at Thiruvananthapuram, Pooran walked in during the death over phase and slammed 38 in 18 balls to help Windies win.
In all T20s this year, Pooran has been striking at a rate of 208.8 in final four overs. Of the players to have faced 100-plus deliveries at the death, only de Villiers (216.6) & Russell (215.9) have a better strike rate than this terrific batsman.
BABAR AZAM
Country: Pakistan
Match/Series: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test
Babar Azam might have had a less than convincing start to his Test career, but the middle-order batsman has come into his own since 2018 in whites. After a terrific ton against Australia Down Under, Babar is starting to display his full potential in Test cricket and his average is on the rise in this format.
Babar has an average of over 50 across formats since 2018. In four Tests in 2019, Babar already averages 44.25 and has a hundred and two half-centuries to his name. Expect him to make merry in the upcoming series.
TOM LATHAM
Country: New Zealand
Australia v New Zealand, 1st Test
If Australia have an aggressive opener in Warner at the top, New Zealand have a Mr. Reliable in Tom Latham. One of the best openers in Test cricket in the last couple of years, Latham is capable of playing marathon knocks and will love the true bounce on offer from the Aussie wickets.
In 2019, Latham averages 65.62 with all three of his 50-plus scores converted into hundreds. Last year, he recorded a double ton and averaged 59.81 in the format. On the batting wickets in Australia, Latham will be a tough nut to remove.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / William West
