An unbeaten Bihar takes on a resurgent Rajasthan in the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Ahmedabad.
Bihar won all their five matches in the league stage. Rajasthan topped their group ahead of Madhya Pradesh due to a higher net run rate of 0.503 as they won 4 out of 5 matches in the group stage.
Team News
Ashutosh Aman has led from the front for Bihar with the ball emerging as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in 5 matches. Babul Kumar and Shasheem Rathour have been impressed with the bat.
Rahul Chahar has been the main bowler for Rajasthan with 11 wickets in 5 matches. Skipper, Ashok Menaria is in fantastic form with the bat. He has been well supported by Ankit Lamba at the top of the order.
Pitch and Conditions
The match will be played on a used pitch as there is another quarterfinal scheduled before this clash. Dew can influence the outcome of the match expected to start at 7 pm. The bowlers can make the breakthroughs if they stick to consistency and an attacking line and length.
Probable Playing XI
Bihar (BIH): Mangal Mahrour, Shasheem Rathour, Babul Kumar, S Gani, MD Rahmatullah, Akash Raj/Amod Yadav, Vikash Yadav (wk), Anuj Raj, Samar Quadri, Ashutosh Aman (c), Mohit Kumar
Rajasthan (RAJ): Bharat Sharma, Ankit Lamba, Ashok Menaria (c), Rajesh Bishnoi, Arjit Gupta, Mahipal Lomror, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Aniket Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed
Key Battles
Babul Kumar (BIH) vs Rahul Chahar (RAJ)
Babul scored an unbeaten 37 against Mizoram in the last game. While he is not known to score heavily as his domestic T20 strike rate is only 95, he is a dependable batsman at the top who can help his side chase down any total.
The leggie, Chahar is a wicket-taking bowler for Rajasthan and seems to have put his experience playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL to good effect. His googly can dismiss any batsman.
Ashutosh Aman (BIH) vs Ashok Menaria (RAJ)
Menaria scored a match-winning knock of 67 against Saurashtra in the previous match.
The skipper has been an integral part of Rajasthan's first-class side for more than a decade. He has the big-match experience and will play a crucial role in the quarterfinal.
Ashutosh deserves plaudits for the efficient way he has captained his side. The left-arm earlier played for Services before joining Bihar in the 2018-19 season. Even if he is not able to get a turn from the surface, the awkward bounce of his deliveries can hurt batsmen.
Prediction
Bihar is on a roll and will aim to continue their winning streak in the tournament. Rajasthan have an impressive bowling attack that has the capability to restrict any batting line-up to a low score.
Cricwizz predicts Rajasthan to win the match
