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The 111th match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2023 will be played between Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Sikkim. The teams from Group B will clash with each other on October 27. Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are ranked second and eighth, respectively.
Himachal Pradesh have had a good tournament so far with four wins out of five matches. They have defeated Odisha, Chandigarh, Bihar, and Services in the tournament so far, with their only loss coming against table-toppers Kerala. They have been in fine form, with Mayank Dagar and skipper Rishi Dhawan leading the way for them with nine wickets each.
The last match for Himachal Pradesh was a high-scoring affair, with HP posting 225/3 on the board. Nikhil Gangta dominated with a 108* while stitching an unbeaten 128-run partnership with Akash Vasisht, who scored 53* off just 21 balls.
In reply, Services scored 206/8, with captain Rishi Dhawan picking up four wickets and there being economical spells from Vaibhav Arora and Kanwar Abhinay.
Sikkim, meanwhile, have had a forgettable tournament so far. They haven't been able to perform their best as a unit. This is evident from their recent performance as they have lost all the five matches that they have played. These losses came against Services, Chandigarh, Odisha, Assam, and Kerala.
In their last match against Kerala, they conceded 221/2 and lost by a whopping margin of 132 runs after scoring a mere 89/9 in reply. There was no individual performance of any note and they do not look like a team that can put up a strong performance anytime soon.
Himachal Pradesh vs Sikkim Match Details:
Match: Himachal Pradesh vs Sikkim
Date and Time: October 27, 2023, 9:00 am IST
Venue: Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy
Himachal Pradesh vs Sikkim Pitch Report
The wicket is batting-friendly, with a record that slightly favors teams batting second. The skipper who wins the toss might decide to bowl first. The average innings score here is around 160, however, the pitch is unlikely to change its nature as the game progresses.
Himachal Pradesh vs Sikkim Weather Report
The weather will take a toll on the players as the temperature will be ranging between 33 and 36 degrees Celsius. It is likely to be partly cloudy throughout the day which will bring some relief. The humidity is predicted to be low at around 33% with no chances of rain.
Himachal Pradesh vs Sikkim Probable XIs
Himachal Pradesh:
Ekant Sen, Prashant Chopra, Sumeet Verma, Akash Vasisht, Mayank Dagar, Ankush Bains (w), Kanwar Abhinay, Vaibhav Arora, Rishi Dhawan (C), Pankaj Jaswal, Mukul Negi
Sikkim:
Sabin Chhetri, Jyoti Bind, Ashish Thapa (w), Nilesh Lamichaney (C), Sankar Prasad, Palzor Tamang, Sumit Singh, Lee Yong Lepcha, Ankur Malik, Jeetendra Sharma, Md Saptulla
Himachal Pradesh vs Sikkim Match Prediction
Himachal Pradesh are the clear favorites to win this match. They would be looking to seal their place in the knockouts of SMAT 2023. With the current form of Sikkim, they have a very low chance of winning. It looks like Himachal would easily stroll past Sikkim in this tie.
Prediction: Himachal Pradesh to win the match.
