SMAT final, Mumbai vs Madhya Pradesh: Here's the statistical preview
The final match of the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be played on Sunday, December 15. The high-octane showdown will see Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh, going head to head at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The match will start at 4:30pm IST. Mumbai reached the final after thrashing Baroda on Friday in the first semi-final. Thereafter, MP defeated Delhi in the 2nd semi-final. Here we present the statistical preview.
Mumbai's journey to the final
Mumbai, led by Shreyas Iyer, qualified for the second round with five wins out of six games. Their only defeat came against Kerala by 43 runs. However, Mumbai made a strong comeback and have won five matches on the trot. In the quarter-final, they defeated Vidarbha by six wickets and chased Baroda's target of 159 in the semi-final with six wickets and 14 balls to spare.
Madhya Pradesh's path to the final
Rajat Patidar's Madhya Pradesh also won six out of their seven first-round matches. They were the second-best team in their group. They started off by defeating Mizoram, Meghalaya, Punjab and Bengal. They suffered a defeat against Rajasthan next. Thereafter, MP overcame the likes of Hyderabad and Bihar to end strongly. MP defeated Saurashtra in the quarters before edging past Delhi in the semis.
Rahane shines as tournament's leading run-scorer
Mumbai's Ajinkya Rahane has been the leading run-scorer of the tournament. He has scored 432 runs at an average of 61.71 and strike rate of 169.41. His scores this season are 13, 52, 68, 22, 95, 84 and 98. Rahane scored a breath-taking 56-ball 98 in the match versus Baroda. His innings helped Mumbai accomplish the 159-run target. As per ESPNcricinfo, Rahane has raced to 1,401 runs overall in SMAT at 28.02 (50s: 13). His strike rate reads 129.72.
Patidar has led from the front for MP
Patidar scored a rapid 66* from just 29 balls to help MP beat Delhi in a crucial 2nd semi-final in Bengaluru on Friday. In 9 SMAT matches this season (8 innings), Patidar has raced to 347 runs at 49.57. This was his 4th fifty of the tournament. In addition to 26 fours, he has smashed 21 sixes, striking at a whopping 182.63. In 47 SMAT matches, Patidar owns 1,583 runs at an average of 38.60.
What about the bowlers?
MP's Kumar Kartikeya is the 2nd-highest wicket-taker this season with 16 scalps at 15.68. For Mumbai, the likes of Mohit Avasthi and Shardul Thakur own 13 scalps each. Both bowlers have taken one four-fer each.
