Legends League Cricket Season 2: Predicting the opening combination for all four franchises

The second edition of Legends League Cricket will start soon. On September 17th, the four franchises will start to take on each other. This time around, the entire event would be hosted in India. On September 2nd, a virtual draft was held to decide the squads for each franchise. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh were chosen as the captains. The opening combination of each team could decide the prospects of the franchise. On that note, here, we predict the opening combination for all four franchises in Legends League Cricket Season 2.

Gujarat Giants – Virender Sehwag and Lendl Simmons

Team #GujaratGiants has chosen their remarkable 15 Legends! Watch them showcase some exemplary action on the grounds of #LLCT20! Stay tuned for the Legendary game!@MJoginderSharma @Swannyg66@ChrisTremlett33 @eltonchigumbura #LegendsLeagueCricket #BossLogoKaGame #BossGame pic.twitter.com/vs2QIsl8NT

— Legends League Cricket (@llct20) September 2, 2022

The Gujarat Giants had a fine draft and have assembled a balanced squad for the second edition of the tournament. Captain Virender Sehwag will surely be one of the openers but there are various options for the other slot.

The likes of Parthiv Patel, Manvinder Bisla, and Richard Levi could all come into the picture. However, the best option will be West Indian cricketer Lendl Simmons. Simmons only recently retired from International cricket. Hence, it can be considered that he still belongs to the highest level. In a tournament comprising retired cricketers, this could be a big advantage. Moreover, Simmons also offers a few overs with the ball, which further adds balance to the squad.

India Capitals – Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis

Team #IndiaCapitals has picked their 16 fantastic legends and they are all set to raise the temperature on the ground. Stay tuned as more thrilling action comes.@sports_gmr#LLCT20 #LegendsLeagueCricket #BossLogonKaGame #BossGame pic.twitter.com/JpfqgK9rBQ

— Legends League Cricket (@llct20) September 2, 2022

When it comes to the opening combination for all four franchises in Legends League Cricket Season 2, India Capitals have an easy choice to make. Probably the best opening combination of this season will be that of Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis.

The duo opened together while they were at Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. Therefore, they already share experiences playing with each other. This will be a huge advantage for the franchise. There are also options such as Ravi Bopara who could also be utilized. Players such as Ross Taylor, Denesh Ramdin, and Asghar Afghan will play a key role in the batting department.

Manipal Tigers – Romesh Kaluwitharana and Phil Mustard

Team #ManipalTigers is ready to take over the field with their 12 roaring Legends! Watch our players throw some scintillating action at #LLCT20! Stay tuned for the #BossGame.#ManipalGroup #LegendsLeagueCricket #BossLogoKaGame #Update pic.twitter.com/EHDZ2BOf8S

— Legends League Cricket (@llct20) September 2, 2022

The Manipal Tigers picked up just 12 players for the event. Hence, they have very few options to pick from for the opening position. The franchise has no choice but to start with the duo of Romesh Kaluwitharana and Phil Mustard. There are options such as Mohammed Kaif but they would be more suited to the middle order.

Both Kaluwitharana and Phil Mustard have experience opening the batting for their respective nations. However, when it comes to T20 cricket, they have hardly operated in that role. Hence, it might be hard for the franchise in this category. The batting unit does not have too many T20 specialists. Therefore, players such as Dimitri Mascarenhas and even Harbhajan Singh must take a lot of responsibility in the batting department.

Bhilwara Kings – William Porterfield and Shane Watson

Team #BhilwaraKings have locked their fantastic 15 players and they are all set to rule the ground at #LLCT20! Stay tuned for the most anticipated #BossGame. #LegendsLeagueCricket #BossLogoKaGame #BhilwaraGroup @owaisshah203@tinobest@sudeeptyagi005 pic.twitter.com/UFRojczzvd

— Legends League Cricket (@llct20) September 2, 2022

Bhilwara Kings seem to have got it right with their opening combination. While Shane Watson is sure to be one of the openers, for the other slot, we could see the likes of William Porterfield and Nick Compton fight for the opportunity.

The Kings have got it right in the batting department. There are a number of reliable batters in the line-up. The list includes Yusuf Pathan, Naman Ojha, Owais Shah, and even Irfan Pathan. Even the bowling looks good with the likes of S Sreesanth and Fidel Edwards in the mix. Therefore, they will be one of the favorites to win the trophy.