Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: In race to knockouts, little to decide on between Saurashtra, Baroda and Gujarat in Group B

Saurashtra’s skipper Jaydev Unadkat with group members throughout drink break in a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy cricket match between Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra at Holkar Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. December 3, 2024. Photograph: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR / The Hindu
| Photograph Credit score: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

In a bunch that includes 5 extremely competent groups — unprecedented in response to Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat — it was at all times doubtless that qualification for the knockout stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy would boil right down to nice margins within the last spherical of matches. And so right here we’re, as Saurashtra, Gujarat and Baroda discover themselves in a tussle forward of Thursday’s matches to be among the many two groups from Group B that advance to the subsequent section.

The competitors may have been much more intense had Karnataka and Tamil Nadu lived as much as their standing as former champions of the T20 competitors. However Karnataka started on the unsuitable observe with a defeat to Uttarakhand and will by no means fairly play to its potential thereafter, whereas Tamil Nadu succumbed when it was put beneath strain by the opposite high groups in Group B.

It has left us with three sides from the west, all from Gujarat by the way, being tied on high with 20 factors every after six rounds. Whereas the group that finishes first within the group can be assured of a last-eight berth, the second-placed facet will know whether or not it performs the quarters or pre-quarters subsequent primarily based on the ultimate standings throughout all 5 teams.

Saurashtra, which is at present on high of Group B attributable to a superior web run fee, ought to be capable to prevail with out a lot issue towards Tripura on Thursday. Overlooking the pre-match platitudes that gamers ship about no recreation being simple, Baroda ought to breeze previous Sikkim.

For Gujarat, a conflict towards Karnataka on the Holkar Stadium presents sterner challenges. However it has many in-form gamers at its disposal. None extra so than opener Urvil Patel, who has smashed 28-ball and 36-ball centuries prior to now week.

“Issues are tight. I haven’t seen a bunch as powerful as ours within the historical past of the event. It’ll go right down to the wire, but when we win our final recreation, I’m positive we can be by means of with the web run fee now we have,” Unadkat mentioned.