Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019, Final, Maharashtra vs Karnataka: Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI Updates & Fantasy Cricket Tips - March 14th, 2019

It is now down to just two teams in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019 as Karnataka and Maharashtra take centre stage with the final set to take place on Wednesday in Indore. Both teams head into the match after winning all their matches in Super League stage with the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Rohan Kadam excelling, along with their ever- consistent bowling attack.

With household names such as Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair in their ranks, Karnataka will be looking to cap off an unbeaten campaign with a fitting performance at the expense of Maharashtra, who enter this match as the underdogs.

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Squads to choose from

Maharashtra:

Domnic Muthuswami, Rahul Tripathi, Naushad Shaikh, Ankit Bawne, Satyajeet Bachhav, Samad Fallah, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Swapnil Gugale, Divyang Himganekar, Rohit Motwani, Nikhil Naik, Vijay Zol, Vishal Gite, Hitesh Walunj, Yash Nahar, Manoj Ingale, Azim Kazi

Karnataka:

Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Manoj S Bhandage, KC Cariappa, Shreyas Gopal, Rohan Kadam, V Koushik, Abhimanyu Mithun, Prasidh Krishna, Sharath BR, Krishnamurthy Siddharth, Luvnith Sisodia, Jagadeesha Suchith, Vinay Kumar

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Playing XI Updates

Maharashtra:

Nikhil Naik portrayed his wide array of shots in the previous game as he sent the Railways team on a leather hut with a blistering innings. Along with more established names such as Tripathi, Gaikwad and Bawne, Naik is a crucial part of this formidable batting line-up while the likes of Samad Fallah and Satyajeet Bachhav have been consistent in churning out wins for Maharashtra.

Possible XI: Gaikwad, Tripathi (C), Bawne, Zol, Shaikh, Naik (WK), Divyang, Fallah, Bachhav, Muthuswami and Gite.

Karnataka:

No changes are expected of Karnataka with their current combination yielding them as many as ten consecutive wins this tournament. Rohan Kadam has been sensational for them with 476 runs, only eight behind leader, Shreyas Iyer. The bowling is also well settled with Kousik leading the way with 17 wickets this season.

Possible XI: Kadam, Sharath(WK), Agarwal, Nair, Pandey(C), Vinay, Suchith, Gopal, Mithun/Prasidh, Kousik and Cariappa

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Match Details

Maharashtra vs Karnataka, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019, Final

14th December 2019, 5:30 PM IST

Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

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Pitch Report

A potential low-scoring thriller is on the cards in the final with anything above 130 considered to be par on this surface. Strokeplay becomes easier with the lights, forcing teams to prefer chasing in this crucial match. Pacers will be key with their variations and ability to swing the ball bound to come into the play throughout the forty overs of the game.

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Fantasy Tips and Suggestions

Wicket-keeper: BR Sharath is the ideal choice to have with his form and ability to provide fast starts at the top of the order. Nikhil Naik is also a viable option to have and could be picked to accommodate more established players from Karnataka in the side later on.

Batsmen: Mayank Agarwal, Rohan Kadam, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ankit Bawne are the ideal set of batsmen to have in the side with their ability to play match-winning innings when required the most. Gaikwad is one of the best young batsmen in the domestic circuit but hasn't fully come off this season. This could be his day and should be backed invariably.

All-rounders: Naushad Shaikh is a must-have player in the side while one of Vinay Kumar of Jagadeesha Suchith should suffice in the all-rounders' department. All of them are capable of picking a wicket or two while contributing runs with the bat as well, making them great assets to the fantasy team.

Bowlers: Satyajeet Bachhav is the highest wicket-taker in the competition with twenty wickets and should be picked along with the likes of Kousik and Cariappa. One of Samad Fallah or Divyang Himganekar is a must with both of them in good wicket-taking form.

Captain: Mayank Agarwal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are front-runners for captaincy while the likes of Suchith and Bachhav are also capable options to have as captain in the fantasy team.

Fantasy Suggestion #1: BR Sharath (WK), Mayank Agarwal, Rohan Kadam, Ankit Bawne, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Naushad Shaikh, Jagadeesha Suchith, V Kousik, KC Cariappa, Satyajeet Bachhav and Samad Fallah. Captain: Ruturaj Gaikwad

Fantasy Suggestion #2: Nikhil Naik (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Manish Pandey, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Naushad Shaikh, Jagadeesha Suchith, Shreyas Gopal, V Kousik, Satyajeet Bachhav and Divyang Himganekar. Captain: Mayank Agarwal