Ranji Trophy 2024 Final: Losing is something the Mumbai cricket team isn’t used to. The most successful side in Ranji Trophy history will take on underdogs Vidarbha in what will be the first time these two teams will face off in the Final. The 41-time champions, have lost just one match in the 2024 season and will be looking to win their 42nd title on March 10 at their home ground, the Wankhede Stadium.
Akshay Wadkar’s Vidarbha have been in fine form themselves. The 2-time winners have faced just one defeat and are on a four-match winning streak at the moment. With two former Test players in their squad, Karun Nair and Umesh Yadav, and a flurry of talented players like Atharva Taide, Dhruv Shorey, Aditya Thakare, and Aditya Sarwate in the squad, they won’t be dreaming of anything else but their first title since 2019.
Home advantage to Mumbai?
One would assume that playing at the Wankhede, Mumbai should have a big advantage. But that might not be the case. Having played just one match there this season, Ajinkya Rahane and co. faced defeat at the hands of Uttar Pradesh. Given that Wankhede offers more assistance to pacers, Mumbai might themselves be in trouble against Umesh, Thakare, and Yash Thakur.
However, with Shardul Thakur back, Mohit Avasthi and Tanush Kotian will have ample help and can go toe-to-toe with Vidarbha’s pace battery. If the pitch offers assistance to spinners, both teams have a top option as well. Mumbai’s Shams Mulani has 31 wickets in 8 matches, while Vidarbha has an incredible left-arm orthodox spinner in Sarwate, who has 40 scalps in 9 matches.
Vidarbha better with the bat?
Four of Vidarbha’s batters have over 500 runs in the 2024 edition. Nair, Shorey, Taide, and skipper Wadker have been in great form, while Yash Rathod has scored over 450 runs as well. Meanwhile, Mumbai have suffered the loss of Shivam Dube, and their skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, is struggling with the bat.
Luckily for them, 19-year-old Musheer Khan, injury returnee Prithvi Shaw, and Bhupen Lalwani have done well. Tailenders Tushar Despande and Tanush Kotian have scored tons as well, and Kotian is their second-highest run scorer in the red-ball competition. Given the immense talent, Mumbai can easily roar back into form, but on current form, Vidarbha might feel better about their batter going into the Final.
Ranji Trophy 2024 Final: Squads
Mumbai: Prithvi Shaw, Bhupen Lalwani, Musheer Khan, Mohit Avasthi, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Sylvester DSouza, Suved Parkar, Amogh Bhatkal, Prasad Pawar, Suryansh Shedge, Atharva Ankolekar, Jay Gokul Bista, Royston Dias, Dhawal Kulkarni.
Vidarbha: Atharva Taide, Dhruv Shorey, Aman Mokhade, Karun Nair, Yash Rathod, Akshay Wadkar (c & wk), Aditya Sarwate, Akshay Wakhare, Yash Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Aditya Thakare, Faiz Fazal, Sanjay Raghunath, Rajneesh Gurbani, Lalit M Yadav, Siddhesh Wath, Darshan Nalkande, Mohit Kale, Harsh Dubey, Jitesh Sharma, Shubham Dubey.
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