Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Final, MUM vs MP Match Prediction: Who Will Win Today's Final Between Mumbai And Madhya Pradesh?

Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh to clash in SMAT 2024 finals [Source: @academy_dinda, @SaviourKohli/X.com]

For the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy 2024 season, Mumbai will compete against Madhya Pradesh at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The title decider is scheduled on December 14 from 4.30 PM IST.

Mumbai

Mumbai, a powerhouse of domestic cricket, advanced to the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 season after beating Baroda in the semi-finals. Chasing a 159-run target, captain Ajinkya Rahane played a remarkable knock of 98 off 56 balls to steer Mumbai to a 6-wicket victory in 17.2 overs. Mumbai, having clinched the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup earlier in the previous season, are favourites heading into the SMAT 2024 season final since they are highly consistent in all formats of domestic events.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, meanwhile, entered the season as underdogs and stunned everyone to qualify for the finals. In the semi-final against Delhi, Venkatesh Iyer rocked the opposition with a dual strike in one over. In the 147-run chase, Rajat Patidar (66* off 39) and Harpreet Singh Bhatia (46 off 38 balls) went all guns blazing to seal a comfortable 7-wicker victory with 4.2 overs to spare. MP has a solid batting lineup, with Patidar and Venkatesh as solid anchors. Hence, Patidar and company are likely to pose a tough fight to heavyweights Mumbai in what promises to be an exciting final.

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How will the Chinnaswamy pitch behave?

Chinnaswamy pitch, often a paradise for batters, will stay true to its nature in the SMAT finals. The flat track, short boundaries, and quick outfield will likely yield a high-scoring game. Batters often thrive here, with plenty of runs on offer, especially in the powerplay. However, as the game progresses, spinners could play a crucial role, extracting turn and bounce due to the surface's tendency to dry out.

Teams winning the toss might prefer to chase, given the ground's history of favoring teams batting second. A score in excess of 180 could be a competitive target, but the chasing team will always back themselves in Bengaluru's batting-friendly conditions.

Players to watch out for in the MUM vs MP SMAT Final

Mumbai

Ajinkya Rahane: Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane is the highest run scorer in the SMAT 2024 edition with 432 runs in 7 innings with a 61.71 average and a 169.42 strike rate. His form will be key for Mumbai's title campaign.

Shreyas Iyer: Another prolific batsman to watch out for is Shreyas Iyer. He has scored 329 runs in 7 innings with a 54.83 average and a strike rate of 189.08. As the middle-order anchor, Iyer would be tasked with accelerating the scoreboard.

Shardul Thakur: Shardul Thakur is the leading wicket-taker for Mumbai this year with 13 wickets in 8 games. Thakur is a seasoned all-rounder and a consistent performer for Mumbai in all-formats.

Tanush Kotian: Tanush Kotian is another experienced spinner who plays consistently for Mumbai in domestic competitions. In the previous game against Baroda, his economical spell allowed his team to dominate.

Madhya Pradesh

Rajat Patidar: Captain Rajat Patidar is the leading run-scorer for Madhya Pradesh with 347 runs in 8 innings at an average of 49.57 and 182.63 strike rate. Patidar's knack of accelerating runs at no.3 makes him a top class player to look out for in the SMAT 2024 finals.

Kumar Kartikeya: Spinner Kumar Kartikeya is this year's second-highest wicket-taker having picked 16 wickets in 9 matches. He can exploit Chinnaswamy's dry surface to chip crucial wickets in the middle order.

Venkatesh Iyer: All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer will be leading the proceedings for Madhya Pradesh with the ball as well as with the bat. He impressed with 2 wickets in the previous game and in top order, Iyer will be lethal. 

Harpreet Singh Bhatia: Harpreet Singh Bhatia has amassed 282 runs this year with 56.40 average. Bhatia played a fiery knock in the semi-finals which shows that he has the ability to thrive under pressure.

Today’s Match Prediction: MUM vs MP Final 

Predicted Top Performers

Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Tanush Kotian
Madhya Pradesh: Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer, Kumar Kartikeya

MUM vs MP Final : Predicted Score

Predicted first innings score: 180-190 runs
Predicted second innings score: 190-200 runs.

Predicted Result: The team batting second will have an edge to win the match.

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