Mumbai vs Madhya Pradesh: Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Final Preview

Background

The 2024 season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has seen a record-breaking number of runs scored, with 38,659 runs being scored in 132 matches. This season has also witnessed the highest strike rate (135.45), most individual centuries (14), most half-centuries (192), and most sixes (1835) in the tournament's history.

The Finalists

Two strong teams, Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh, are all set to contest in the final in Bengaluru. Mumbai, the former champions, are on a hot streak, having successfully chased down two 220-plus run targets in their last three matches. Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, have set foot in the final for the first time since 2010 and are looking to make a strong impression.

Key Players

Mumbai's Ajinkya Rahane has been a dominant force with the bat, displaying exceptional consistency with stellar innings of 95, 84, and 98 in high-stakes games. Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, and Suryansh Shedge have also stepped up with the bat, making Mumbai's batting lineup a formidable force. However, their bowlers have an overall economy rate of 9.26, which is the highest among all teams that made the knockouts.

Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, have an impressive economy rate of 7.39, which could help the team keep the muscular Mumbai batting in check. The likes of Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer lead a well-rounded batting unit for Madhya Pradesh.

Probable XIs

Mumbai:

• Prithvi Shaw
• Ajinkya Rahane
• Shreyas Iyer (c)
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Shivam Dube
• Suryansh Shedge
• Shardul Thakur
• Hardik Tamore (wk)
• Tanush Kotian
• Mohit Avasthi
• Atharva Ankolekar

Madhya Pradesh:

• Arpit Gaud
• Harsh Gawli (wk)
• Subhranshu Senapati
• Venkatesh Iyer
• Rajat Patidar (c)
• Harpreet Singh Bhatia
• Tripuresh Singh
• Rahul Batham
• Kumar Kartikeya
• Avesh Khan
• Shivam Shukla

What to Expect

This edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has witnessed 37 scores of 200 or more, yet none have been recorded at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Considering these dynamics, Sunday's game promises to be a fascinating contest.