To celebrate the World Cup festivities, we have curated a list of 11 Mutual Funds, or what we like to call it “The Dream Team Mutual Fund Portfolio”, which can help investors earn good returns until the next World Cup, which will be held in India in 2023.

The Dream Team

Openers

The opening pair need to be aggressive in order to capitalize the power play overs available and thump the new ball, which can help generate high alpha. And once they have settled in, they can play with authority for a long time and help the team capitalize.

1. Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip Fund – Direct – Growth

Neelesh Surana zeros in on stocks which are of high quality and have the potential to earn high returns, and due to which the fund does not have exposure in a large number of small-cap stocks. The Fund focuses to invest heavily in Large-cap and Mid-cap stocks. The fund justifies its name of Emerging Bluechip and its bottoms up approach while taking into account the risk parameters has resulted in generating alpha while keeping an eye on the volatility.

2. Kotak Emerging Equity Fund-Growth – Direct

Kotak Emerging Equity Fund is a pure midcap fund with approximately 80% of its Assets Under Management (AUM) invested in Mid-cap stocks. The fund has invested in around 60+ securities to avoid the risk of concentration in just a handful of stocks. This is an important trait in aggressive funds, as this helps in reducing the volatility of the fund. The Fund manager, Pankaj Tibrewal has been with the fund since 2010 has shown a commendable performance over the long term.

Middle Order

The Middle Order comprises of players who could provide stability and consolidation to help build the momentum if the openers collapse and also, provide acceleration in the death overs to improve the overall score of the team.

3. Aditya Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity Fund – Growth – Direct

Aditya Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity Fund’ approach has managed it to successfully outperform the benchmark and peers consistently for a long period of time. The fund has around 13% exposure to  Midcap stocks but doesn’t take unnecessary risk. A steady management team has led to continuity in the style of investing over the past decade.

4. ICIC Prudential Bluechip Fund – Growth – Direct

The ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund is a flagship fund of the  Asset Management Company (AMC). It is consistently overseen by ICICI Prudential’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Sankaran Naren, who is well-known to follow value strategy. The fund has traditionally had a higher-than-category allocation to Large-cap stocks. The high quality of the fund and its Star Performing Fund Managers Anish Tawakley and Rajat Chandak will provide the investors with stable returns in future though not be able to generate that additional alpha due to its low exposure to mid-cap category.

5. Reliance Large Cap Fund – Growth – Direct

Reliance Large Cap Fund has a higher Mid-cap stocks allocation when compared to its peers and churns its portfolio more often than others in the same category. However, this strategy has proved to be a game changer, as the fund has not only outperformed its benchmark and its peers in 3 and 5 years time period but also during the bear markets. Though the fund has seen a phase of below average performance, its consistency and steady fund management are worth considering of placing it in a portfolio. Sailash Raj has been managing the fund since the last 12 years and has consistently stuck to the fund’s mandate.

All Rounders

All-rounders are players who equally dangerous with both, the bat and the ball. All-rounders can help with the final momentum in the death overs and provide and provide crucial breakthroughs while the opposing team is in full swing.

6. HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund – Growth – Direct

HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund holds approximately 80% of its AUM in Equity products and the remaining AUM in Debt instruments. The fund manager Prashant Jain is a star fund manager and known for selecting stocks with a long term view. After completing its re-categorization, the fund has the liberty to move across Equity products and Debt instruments.

7. ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund – Growth – Direct

ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund had a change in Fund Managers and Manish Banthia joined the Fund Management team in Sept 2013, while Sankaran Naren and Atul Patel joined the Fund Management team in Dec 2016 and August 2016, respectively. This team has proven to be a good fit for the fund, as the fund follows a ‘Growth and Value’ strategy for its Equity portfolio and plays on ‘Income Strategy; with its Debt allocation. This strategy has provided the fund with superior returns over its peers and the prospects look similar if the fundamentals and investment mandate do not change significantly.

Wicket Keeper

Wicket Keepers are the safe option that ensures that the team does not let anything slip by. Wicket Keepers also provide a cover when the middle order crumbles. They are an essential part of the team and a must for every team.

8. ICICI Prudential Liquid Fund – Growth – Direct

ICICI Prudential Liquid Fund is a reliable fund for reasonable returns as the predominantly invests in money market securities,  while the remaining AUM is invested in high-quality Debt instruments. The fund provides a high level of liquidity, which provides flexibility for the investor to move his investments to Equity funds when the market valuations reduce.

Bowlers

It is a well-known fact that Bowlers play a crucial role in leading the team to victory. The Bowlers are responsible to defend a 300-plus score and to also bowl the crucial 49th over which requires a mix of various skills to outperform the opponent.

9. Kotak Standard Multicap Fund – Growth – Direct

Kotak Standard Multicap Fund is the largest fund in the Multi-cap Fund category with an AUM worth Rs 24,297 crore, and also ranks the highest in all the parameters of the Multi-cap Fund category. Kotak Standard Multicap Fund has outperformed the category and its benchmark index in 1, 3, 5 and 7-year periods. Kotak Standard Multicap Fund managed to fare well even in the bear phases.

10. Motilal Oswal Multicap 35 Fund – Growth – Direct

Motilal Oswal Multicap 35 Fund has managed to scale up to an asset size of more than INR 13,000 crores because of its ability to generate alpha since its launch. The fund believes in buying and holding on to the stocks with growth potential. Large-cap Stocks comprises of approximately 80% and it is underweight on midcaps. The Top 10 holdings constitute more than half of the assets. The portfolio seems to be overweight on financials, automobile, and healthcare which have proved to be a positive move for the fund’s returns.

11. Invesco India Contra Fund – Growth – Direct

Invesco India Contra Fund follows a contra strategy, which includes some element of a value strategy in it. There are a few funds who follow a contra strategy in the Indian Mutual Funds space. Taher Badshah and Amit Ganatra are the leading fund managers of this space. Invesco has a reputation for building funds, which are excellent in terms of following a value strategy, and this is evident with Invesco India Contra Fund as well. The fund has outperformed its benchmark and its peers over the 3, 5 and 10 year period. With steady fund management and focused stock picking approach, it is a reliable fund to be invested in.