14 December,2024 08:55 AM IST | Bangalore | PTI
Mumbai will bank on in-form Rahane for a solid start. Pic/PTI
On the periphery, it looks like a cakewalk for in-form Mumbai, but they will be quietly worried over Madhya Pradesh's ability to be the disruptor when they meet in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final here on Sunday.
Mumbai's tag of favourites is printed largely on the back of their awesome batting unit, capable of setting or chasing tall targets with consummate ease.
In a line-up that has skipper Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube and Prithvi Shaw, a reborn Ajinkya Rahane is leading their charge with the bat.
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Rahane is the top run-getter in this edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 432 runs from eight matches at a strike-rate of 170 with five fifties.
Shreyas, at No. 3, has ensured that the frenetic start that Rahane has often given is not wasted with brisk knocks of his own.
The right-hander has so far amassed 329 runs from eight matches, while striking at 189. Their efforts have masked the rather underwhelming outings of Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav.
While their batting is in a far more secured space, Mumbai's inconsistent frontline bowlers will have to be on the money against Madhya Pradesh.
That Madhya Pradesh under captain Rajat Patidar can exploit that weakness will be a point of worry for Mumbai, looking to add a second title after 2022.
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