MI London vs Manchester Super Giants Dream11 Tips, Match 18 Probable XI, Captain Pick, Pitch Report — The Hundred 2026

2 August 2026 · 10:30 PM IST · Kennington Oval, London

Editorial photography of the Kennington Oval setting for The Hundred Men's 2026 Match 18 between MI London and Manchester Super Giants.

01 Match 18 at the Oval: why the table is tight

MI London meet Manchester Super Giants in Match 18 of The Hundred Men's 2026 at Kennington Oval, London, on Sunday 2 August 2026, with the first ball listed for 10:30 PM IST. Both sides have two wins from four completed games. MI London sit fourth with a recent sequence of L W L W. Manchester Super Giants sit second, also on two wins, but arrive after consecutive defeats and a form line of L L W W.

That shared win count is the tactical frame for fantasy lineups. Super Giants still hold the higher table place, yet the back-to-back losses remove the free-hit mindset that usually protects a top-two side. MI London are not chasing the table from panic either; the alternate win-loss pattern suggests a side that can reset after a defeat and still put a full hundred-ball plan on the board. For captain and vice-captain tags, the edge belongs to players who already produce across both innings rather than pure matchup swings.

The Oval adds a second layer. A reported average of 155 points to a high-scoring contest once the ball softens, with early new-ball movement still available for the pacers. Fantasy builders who lock only sloggers or only death bowlers usually lose the middle of this fixture. The better read pairs a top-order multiplier with one pace option who can extract that first-spell seam, then fills the rest of the squad around proven all-phase value.

02 Standings snapshot and recent form

MI London's fourth-place position with two wins from four keeps them in the pack rather than clear of it. The L W L W form line is useful for fantasy because it shows the side is not locked into a single batting gear. When they win, the top order tends to finish sets; when they lose, the bowling unit still creates enough wicket moments to keep premium bowlers in contention for points.

Manchester Super Giants remain second despite the recent slide. Two wins from four is identical to MI London on the ledger, but the L L W W sequence warns against treating Super Giants as automatic favourites in every fantasy metric. Consecutive defeats often force a more aggressive middle-order response, which can lift ceiling players such as Heinrich Klaasen while also exposing bowlers if the chase or defence goes sideways early.

Neither side has separated itself on pure volume of wins. That is exactly the condition where individual form, not franchise brand, should drive the captaincy call. Jos Buttler's 224 runs in four matches and Will Jacks' 133 runs in four matches are the clearest personal data points available before the toss.

03 Kennington Oval pitch report

The Oval is expected to play as a genuine batting surface with pace and bounce. Pacers can still find early movement with the new ball, which matters in The Hundred because the first twenty to thirty balls often decide whether a top-order captain tag prints or fails. After that initial window, the report leans toward a high-scoring contest, and the published average of 155 supports building around batters who can convert starts rather than one-ball hitters who need a perfect matchup.

Pace and bounce also change the value of the all-rounder slots. A player who can bowl a hard length and still bat in the middle overs holds two scoring routes on a surface that does not collapse into a pure spin contest. That is why Trent Boult, Gus Atkinson, Tom Curran and Liam Dawson sit higher in squad construction than pure specialist names who only cover one phase.

Fantasy lineups should still leave room for a quality spinner. Rashid Khan for MI London and Noor Ahmad for Super Giants remain relevant if batters look to attack through the middle. They are not automatic captain tags on a 155-par deck, but they are solid core holds when the new-ball movement fades and captains need control overs.

04 London weather and evening conditions

The local reading is cloudy, about 25.4°C, with humidity near 46%. Cloud cover keeps the early seam conversation alive for the first spell. The humidity is moderate rather than heavy, so the ball is less likely to turn into a pure swing lottery, and batters who wait for length errors should still find scoring options once they are set.

Evening starts at the Oval can introduce a light dew factor later in the second innings. If the outfield stays quick under lights, the chasing side gains a small strike-rate boost. That does not automatically flip the captaincy call away from Jos Buttler or Will Jacks; it simply means a top-order batter on the chase can still clear the floor even if the first ten balls are awkward against the new ball.

Top-order batters who survive the new ball at the Oval usually own the fantasy ceiling once the surface flattens into a 150-plus contest.

05 Probable XI: MI London

MI London's likely eleven opens with Will Jacks and James Vince, with Jason Roy as the third top-order piece. Nicholas Pooran keeps wickets and supplies middle-order power. Ollie Pope and Sherfane Rutherford fill the middle, while Tom Curran is the seam-bowling all-rounder bridge into a strong pace bank of Trent Boult, Olly Stone and Richard Gleeson. Rashid Khan is the primary spin control option through the middle overs.

From a fantasy angle, Jacks is the standout MI London name because he already has 133 runs in four matches and bats high enough to face a full allocation of balls. Pooran remains the ceiling pick if Super Giants leak full tosses or wide yorkers later in the innings. Boult is the bowling differential if the cloudy start holds through the power phase, because early wickets at the Oval still pay full fantasy value even on a batting surface.

06 Probable XI: Manchester Super Giants

Super Giants are expected to lead with Aiden Markram as captain, Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler through the top, and Heinrich Klaasen as the primary finisher. Leus du Plooy and Tom Moores add middle-order depth. Liam Dawson is the spin-bowling all-rounder, with Gus Atkinson, Noor Ahmad, Josh Tongue and Sonny Baker covering the rest of the bowling overs.

Buttler is the obvious fantasy magnet: 224 runs in four matches, a wicketkeeping points stream, and a role that keeps him involved whether Super Giants bat first or chase. Klaasen is the pure ceiling partner if the total climbs past 160. Atkinson is the Super Giants bowling name most aligned to the Oval's early bounce, especially if MI London's top three look to take the power phase on.

07 Captain pick: Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler is the primary captain recommendation for MIL vs MSG Dream11 contests. He has 224 runs in four matches, keeps wickets for Super Giants, and bats high enough to face both the new ball and the acceleration phase. On a surface projected around 155, that combination is the cleanest floor-plus-ceiling profile in either eleven.

The captain tag is not only about batting volume. Wicketkeeping dismissals remain live on a bouncey Oval pitch, especially if MI London's top order looks to drive on the up against Atkinson, Tongue or Baker. Even a quiet batting night can be rescued by two dismissals behind the stumps. When the batting night is not quiet, the 2x multiplier turns a fifty-plus knock into a contest-winning scorecard.

Use Buttler as captain in single-entry and primary multi-entry lineups. The only reason to move him is a confirmed batting-order demotion after the toss, and nothing in the current probable XI suggests that shift.

08 Vice-captain pick: Will Jacks

Will Jacks is the preferred vice-captain. He has 133 runs in four matches for MI London and opens the innings, which gives him the fullest ball share on a batting deck. The 1.5x vice tag is the right risk level: Jacks can outscore almost anyone if he wins the power phase, yet he is not forced to carry the entire 2x burden that belongs with Buttler's superior run pile.

Jacks also offers a secondary bowling route in some match situations, which matters if Super Giants' middle order targets the MI London spin overs. Even without a bowling spell, his opening role alone justifies the vice tag against a Super Giants attack that has just dropped consecutive games and may leak early boundaries under scoreboard pressure.

09 Differential captain swap and avoid list

For multi-entry builders who need a lower-owned captain path, Heinrich Klaasen and Trent Boult are the cleanest swaps. Klaasen thrives if the total climbs and Super Giants need a late surge. Boult thrives if the cloudy new-ball window lasts longer than expected and MI London bowl first. Neither should replace Buttler in a one-team lock, but both are valid second- and third-entry captains.

The published avoid list flags Callum Parkinson and Nathan Sowter of MI London. Keep both off core squads unless a confirmed XI shock after the toss puts either into a long bowling allocation. On current information they are not part of the primary MI London eleven and should not consume salary that belongs with Jacks, Pooran, Boult or Rashid Khan.

10 Squad build around the captain tags

A practical Dream11 spine looks like this: Buttler as captain, Jacks as vice-captain, then Pooran, Klaasen, Markram, Curran or Dawson as the all-round bridge, Rashid Khan or Noor Ahmad as the spin hold, and Boult plus Atkinson as the pace pair. That structure keeps five or six batting contributors without abandoning the early-wicket path on a surface that still offers new-ball movement.

Salary discipline matters because Buttler and Jacks are not budget fillers. Pay for them, then fill the lower order with one MI London seamer and one Super Giants seamer rather than stacking an entire bowling unit from one franchise. Balanced ownership across both sides is the safer route when both teams sit on two wins and neither has shown a dominant bowling hierarchy.

Oval field placements reward captains who pair a top-order multiplier with at least one new-ball seamer rather than loading only finishers.

11 Toss, injury notes and post-toss locks

Final fantasy teams should be treated as post-toss updates. If Super Giants bat first under cloud, Buttler's captaincy case strengthens because he can set the tempo before dew becomes a factor. If MI London bowl first and the new ball moves, Boult and Atkinson climb in the bowling order while Jacks remains the chase-side vice option.

The availability desk has not published a confirmed late injury change for either side. The working baseline is the probable elevens listed above. Any pre-toss withdrawal from Buttler, Jacks, Pooran or Klaasen should trigger an immediate captain rotation rather than a cosmetic one-for-one swap in the lower order.

12 Broadcast and strategy notes

Indian viewers can follow Match 18 on Star Sports Network, with live streaming on JioHotstar. Use the toss window and the first twenty balls to confirm batting orders before locking secondary entries. For broader captain-rotation frameworks, salary-cap construction and contest selection across the season, keep the fantasy cricket guides open beside the live card rather than rebuilding every lineup from a blank screen.

13 Frequently asked on Match 18 fantasy picks

14 What to watch after the toss

The first decision after the toss is batting order confirmation for Buttler and Jacks. If both retain their projected slots, keep the primary captain-vice pair locked and spend the remaining minutes on bowling allocation: Boult and Atkinson if the cloud holds, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad if the surface looks dry and true. Match 18 will not reward a blank fantasy card built only on franchise reputation. It rewards the two batters already printing volume and the seamers who can still use the Oval's early bounce before the contest becomes a 155-par shootout.