Mumbai vs Saurashtra Prediction: Mumbai are the obvious favorites

Ranji Trophy has been one of the top-rated domestic tournaments in the world. This is a tournament that has featured talents like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Jaspreet Bumrah, to name a few. We are in the early parts of the season but some teams have already showcased a deep Playoff run caliber. One of those teams, Mumbai is going to clash against a versatile Saurashtra outfit here.

Mumbai comes into this game after racking up an innings and 27 runs win against Hyderabad. Batting first, the team put up a gigantic 651 for 6 behind a 204 run knock by veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan also hit centuries to mark a dominant batting performance. Mumbai’s bowling was stingy from the start and they rolled over Hyderabad for just 214 in the first innings as spinner Shams Mulani took seven wickets. Then he took four wickets in the second innings to reduce Hyderabad to just 220 in what was a comprehensive win for Mumbai. This win was followed by a nine-wicket win over Andhra Pradesh.

Such results are expected from Mumbai which has historically produced world-class batters that are unparalleled across the formats. In a batting lineup that has Ajinkya Rahane, a soaring Sarfaraz Khan, blooming Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Prithvi Shaw alongside power hitter Surya Kumar Yadav, the potential in terms of batting is only increasing. This is perhaps the best batting lineup as the team is equipped with both savvy run accumulators and also big-time hitters. Bowling-wise Shams Mulani’and Tanush Kotian has been an incredible spin duo and things are ringing for this peerless squad.

Saurashtra enters the affair after playing a draw against Maharashtra. Maharashtra scored an amazing 493 in the first innings. The left and right medium fast bowling duo of Chetan Sakariya and Chirag Suri nabbed three wickets each but the supporting bowlers didn’t get it done. While batting, Saurashtra showed their depth and managed a four-point lead, thanks to an unbeaten 127-run knock by captain Arpit Vasavada. Harvik Desai at the top made 78, middle order batter Sheldon Jackson made 81 whereas Samarth Vyas put up 93 runs in what was a well-organized and balanced batting effort. This was the second draw in a row after a draw with Assam. Both times, Saurashtra was able to take the vital lead.

Their batting has looked loaded with Harvik playing big innings at the top while the middle order of Jackson, Vasavada, and Vyas looks tough. Jay Gohil at number three has had a 200+ runs innings already and that is why Saurashtra has been able to take the first innings lead twice in a row. Chetan Sakariya and Chirag Suri form an effective pace duo but the team will need more from Dharmendrasinh Jadeja who was a key part of the success bowling-wise last season. The team is in a tough Group B but the last two efforts are a great foundation to build upon.

Mumbai’s talent level is such that they can get out of tough situations especially when it comes to their batting. While Saurashtra has a strong batting lineup, which has amassed a ton of runs, Mumbai has the advantage of acceleration with multiple power hitters. Bowling-wise, Saurashtra hasn’t shown its best yet while Mumbai’s budding spin duo of Shams and Kotian has wreaked havoc. Therefore, Mumbai has an advantage here and it won’t be a surprise if they win big here.