Bengal vs Bihar, SMAT, Today Match Prediction 03 December 2024

BGL vs BHR Match Prediction & Analysis

Bengal will take on Bihar at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium C in Rajkot. It is a batting-friendly venue where teams have consistently scored big including Bengal.

Bihar have won just 2 matches so far and one of these wins came while defending 169 runs at this venue. Their batting had been very inconsistent this season. Their batters finally found their rhythm in their last match against Mizoram.

Bengal, on the other hand, are consistently delivering with the bat and in their recent win, chased down 128 runs in just 12 Overs. Bengal’s openers are their key players who’ve been in great form lately.

For Bihar too, the openers will be key in this match. Skipper Sakibul Gani scored an unbeaten 120 off 66 balls while opening the innings for Bihar in their recent win over Mizoram.

Can Bihar deliver against a quality attack like Bengal? Was their recent win only due to a weaker opposition? It remains to be seen.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Bengal Preview

Bengal are at number 3 in the points table and a win here could push them to number 2. They have won all but one match so far and look very promising in both departments.

There are some concerns in the batting lineup but they have managed to deliver consistently as a unit. The top order has in-form batters with Abhishek Porel and Karan Lal in fine form as openers.

In their recent win over Meghalaya, the middle order collapsed with 3 of their batters being dismissed for a duck. While chasing 128 runs, Bengal went from 80-1 to 81-4 in no time.

Skipper Sudip Kumar Gharami will be looking for a quick turnaround with the bat in this match. He is a key batter in the middle order and will also expect Shakir Gandhi to step up and deliver an impactful knock at number 3.

Mohammad Shami was pretty good in the last outing with his economy. Prayas Barman came into the XI and delivered a brilliant spell for Bengal.

He will be one to watch out for along with Sayan Ghosh and Kanishk Seth who are the key wicket-takers in this bowling attack.

Bengal Predicted Playing XI:

Sudip Kumar Gharami (c), Abishek Porel (wk), Karan Lal, Shakir Gandhi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Writtick Chatterjee, Mohammed Shami, Kanishk Seth, Ranjot Khaira, Prayas Barman, Sayan Ghosh

Bihar Preview

Bihar will be happy with their comeback in the last match as the skipper led the batting effort with an unbeaten hundred to post their highest total of the season so far.

It was Bihar’s best batting performance of the season and also their biggest win. Skipper Sakibul Gani will hope that Bihar carries their winning momentum into this match.

Gani had scored a fifty in one of their previous outings too when Bihar scored 169 batting first against Meghalaya and won the match by 8 runs. This time he was supported by Bipin Saurabh who came in at number 4.

Saurabh had opened the innings alongside the skipper in previous outings. They got Ankit Singh opening for them this time around with wicket-keeper batsman Aayush Loharuka coming at number 3.

We reckon it won’t be an easy outing for Bihar as they face the mighty Bengal. The opposition has a strong bowling attack and Bihar will face a tough challenge.

In the bowling attack, all eyes will be on Gajendra Singh and Himanshu Singh who were the star performers for Bihar in their 103-run win over Mizoram. Amod Yadav and Nawaz Khan are other key wicket-taking bowlers in the squad who need to bring their A-game against Bengal.

Bihar Predicted Playing XI:

Ankit Singh, Sakibul Gani (c), Ayush Loharuka (wk), Bipin Saurabh, Mayank Choudhary, Sachin Kumar, Himanshu Singh, Nawaz Khan, Sakib Hussain, Amod Yadav, Gajendra Singh

Weather Conditions

It will be clear and sunny weather with a high of 32 degrees Celsius in Rajkot. The conditions are great for batting and we expect a high-scoring thriller between two in-form teams on a batting-friendly pitch.

BGL vs BHR Pitch Report

It is a balanced wicket with batters often finding great help. There will be an even contest between bat and ball if the recent matches are any indication. The average 1st innings score in the last 5 matches here is 162 runs. However, a match-winning total here will be something over 180-185 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

Teams bowling first have won 3 of the last 5 matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 at this venue. It is a great venue for batting and teams should be able to chase down a competitive total. However, both teams opted to bat first in their last outing here. Though Bihar might continue to do so, we reckon Bengal are more likely to bowl first.