The Ranji Trophy Final is finally here and we cannot wait to know who the champion of the trophy already is. Two of the best teams of the tournament, Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh will meet on 22 June in the last battle of 2021-2022 season. While Mumbai will look on to win their 42nd title, Madhya Pradesh will hope to win their first tournament since 1953.
The two teams have had quite a ride to the finals. Mumbai, on one hand, had two draws and 3 wins to reach the finals, on the other hand, MP won 4 of its 5 matches drawing only 1. MP seems to have performed better and more holistic in terms of their all-round performance as a team. There was never one star that sailed them through the match, but the whole team fought for it. Mumbai is filled with domestic superstars, even though young, who have made quite a name with their performance.
The Semifinals Struggle:
Madhya Pradesh advanced to the Ranji Trophy final for the first time since the 1998-99 season following a convincing 174-run victory against Bengal. MP had set a target of 350 and bowled Bengal out for just 175, with Kumar Kartikeya taking five wickets in the second innings.
Mumbai turned in an all-round performance against UP that led to them qualifying for the final on the basis of a first-innings lead. The teenage opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was the main architect of Mumbai’s overwhelming performance, scoring two hundred in the match with scores of 100 and 181 – his career-best first-class score. Jaiswal now has three consecutive centuries in the competition.
What to expect?
Mumbai is giants, you keep any team in front of them and they still will be favorites to win. They have their batters in form and they have an experienced bowling line-up that does not disappoint. They are definitely going for something big and it will be interesting as to how MP tackles them.
Madhya Pradesh is a storm that looks calm from far. The team has mutilated every opponent they have faced. The captain-coach duo of Aditya Shrivastava and Chandrakant Pandit is exceptional. Their planning has worked out in favor of the team and how. They have shown their determination and proved their worth through the matches they have won. If they take one player and one day at a time, they are definitely the technical favorites to win the match.
It is interesting to note that MP has qualified for the tournament finals after 23 years. Mumbai on the other hand are the most successful regional team of the country having won the trophy 41 times, with their last win in 2015. Both the teams will be eager to play their best cricket and this will surely bring us a lot more entertainment. All the best to the teams!
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