Jan 2: Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars, Hobart

Pro Tip: Dawid Malan's consistency at the T20I level makes him a compelling captaincy choice for this game. The wicket at Hobart is likely to assist his stroke-making abilities.

Our XI: Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, Billy Stanlake, Liam Hatcher, D'Arcy Short, Ben McDermott, Dawid Malan, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith

Substitutes: Colin Ingram, Scott Boland, Andre Fletcher, Nic Maddinson.

Player availability: Sandeep Lamichhane is available for Hurricanes after completing his quarantine protocols.

We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates. Finalise your team after the toss

Captain: Dawid Malan

Malan, the top-ranked T20I batsman, was the highest scorer for Hobart Hurricanes in their last game with a 32-ball 39. In 2020, he has scored 397 runs in ten T20Is at an average of 49.62 and a strike rate of 142.29.

Vice-captain: Nicholas Pooran

In his debut BBL knock, he announced himself with a stunning 26-ball 65 against Sydney Sixers. He was also the third-highest scorer for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020, hitting 353 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 169.71. Will get you additional points through his wicketkeeping.

Hot Picks

Glenn Maxwell: The Stars' captain is their leading scorer this season with 179 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 146.72. He is also a master of the middle overs (7-15), having scored the most runs in that phase in BBL history - 1204 runs at a strike rate of 143.2 in 56 innings, ahead of second-placed Henriques who has 1084 runs at 136.44 in 61 innings.

Riley Meredith: Meredith is among the leading bowlers this season, with ten wickets in six games so far at an average of 16.50. In the absence of the experienced James Faulkner, he stepped up wonderfully in the last game by leading the pace attack with figures of 3 for 21.

Ben McDermott: After a phenomenal start to the season with 46 and 89*, Ben McDermott has had a quiet couple of games. He has accumulated 155 runs in four innings so far at a strike rate of 140.90. Now that he is getting the opportunity to open the batting, expect him to score more runs.

Differential Picks

Liam Hatcher: Hatcher picked up 3 for 28 in his debut against Thunder. He carried that form is Stars' most successful bowler this season with nine wicket in four games at an average of 14.33.

Tim David: David has made 181 runs in six games at a strike rate of 163.06. Even though he largely bats at No. 6 for Hurricanes, he has the impeccable record of scoring 20-plus runs in all six games so far.

Alternate Scenarios

Scott Boland is a possible replacement for Nathan Ellis