Vijay Hazare Trophy final, Saurashtra vs Maharashtra: Preview and stats
Saurashtra will lock horns with Maharashtra in the high-voltage final clash of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022. The summit clash will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday (December 2). While Saurashtra are eyeing their second VHT title, Maharashtra would make their maiden appearance in the final of the tournament. Here is the preview of the duel.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
The venue has hosted three matches in the tournament so far. Batters have struggled to get going here as the average first-innings total is 197. Chasing teams have emerged victorious on all three occasions. Spinners of both sides would hold the key. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network (9:00 AM IST) and live-streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar app (paid subscription).
Saurashtra's journey in the VHT 2022-23
With five wins and two losses, Saurashtra concluded atop the Elite Group A table. Their last defeat was against Uttar Pradesh in their final group-stage fixture. Saurashtra returned to winning ways with a 44-run triumph over Tamil Nadu in the quarter-finals. The Jaydev Unadkat-captained side then beat Karnataka, chasing down a 172-run target. Jay Gohil (61) was their top run-getter.
Plenty of firepower in Saurashtra's line-up
Despite a duck in the semi-final, wicket-keeper batter Harvik Desai is their second-highest run-getter in the tournament. He has clubbed 390 runs at 43.33. Middle-order batter Samarth Vyas tops their scoring charts, with 431 runs at 47.88 (100s: 1, 50s: 1). Arpit Vasavada has been promising as well (286 runs at 95.33). Left-armer Unadkat is the tournament's joint-highest wicket-taker (18 scalps at 15.61).
Maharashtra's run in VHT 2022-23 so far
Maharashtra (W6) finished on top of the heap in the Elite group E table. They beat UP by 58 runs in the quarter-finals before handing an agonizing 12-run beating to Assam in the semi-finals. Ankit Bawne (571 runs at 95.16) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (552 runs at 276.00) carry the scoring onus. Right-armer Rajvardhan Hangargekar (15 wickets at 20.26) has troubled the batters throughout.
Gaikwad slammed 7 sixes in an over against UP
History was scripted in the quarter-final clash as Gaikwad smashed spinner Shiva Singh for seven sixes in an over (49th). The latter bowled one no-ball in that over. Gaikwad also smashed 16 sixes in that contest, most for a batter in a VHT match.
A look at the Probable XI of both sides:
Saurashtra: Harvik Desai (wicket-keeper), Sheldon Jackson, Jay Gohil, Samarth Vyas, Arpit Vasavada, Prerak Mankad, Chirag Jani, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Kushang Patel, Jaydev Unadkat (captain), Parth Bhut Maharashtra: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Rahul Tripathi, Satyajeet Bachhav, Ankit Bawne, Azim Kazi, Saurabh Navale (wicket-keeper), Kaushal Tambe, Shamshuzama Kazi, Manoj Ingale, Mukesh Choudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Dream11 Fantasy cricket options
Fantasy XI (Option 1): Harvik Desai, Jay Gohil, Samarth Vyas, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rahul Tripathi, Ankit Bawne, Satyajeet Bachhav, Prerak Mankad, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Jaydev Unadkat (VC) Fantasy XI (Option 2): Sheldon Jackson, Jay Gohil (VC), Samarth Vyas, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi (C), Ankit Bawne, Chirag Jani, Prerak Mankad, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary
