Ranji Trophy quarterfinals: Big boys Mumbai, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra get semis berths. cricket news

After a tumultuous journey of one and a half month, eight teams have managed to overcome the other 24 contenders to enter the quarter-finals. Now, they stand at a point of no return as even the slightest mistake could see them out of the quarter-final stage starting across India from Friday. There are some familiar faces – 41-time champions Mumbai, strong contenders Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, big rivals Vidarbha and Baroda, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra besides strong Saurashtra, who are capable of springing a surprise or two. So, here’s a closer look at the last four eight matches.

Mumbai vs Baroda

A depleted Mumbai side will hope to make the most of their current form when they face Baroda here from Friday.

Without middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer, who is struggling for fitness, and star all-rounder Shivam Dubey, who has been ruled out due to bilateral strain, Mumbai will have their work cut out for them against Baroda at the BKC Ground.

While Dubey may be unavailable for the rest of the season, the inclusion of India Under-19 World Cup star Mushir Khan has boosted the Mumbai squad.

Having registered the most points (37) in Elite Group B, Mumbai are in great form with the exception of their defeat against Uttar Pradesh at the Wankhede Stadium.

With Dubey unavailable, Mumbai will be hoping for right-handed opener Bhupen Lalwani, who has scored 493 runs in seven matches at an average of 49.3 with one century and five fifties, to continue his form. Mohit Awasthi has been Mumbai’s main weapon, with 31 wickets in six matches, including three five-fors and as many Player of the Match awards, and he has formed a potent attack with Royston Dias (17) and left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (23). .

Captain Ajinkya Rahane’s form is a matter of concern, but Mumbai will be hoping for fireworks from Prithvi Shaw, who has returned midway through the season.

However, despite Shashwat Rawat (628 runs)’s consistency with the bat, considering Baroda’s recent form in the last four matches – three draws and one loss – Mumbai will feel that they are favourites.

Vidarbha takes on Karnataka

Vidarbha will be looking for their chances against a strong Karnataka when they take on the VCA Ground in Nagpur.

Apart from Mumbai, Vidarbha is the only team with five wins in Group A and playing in their backyard will boost their confidence against Karnataka, who finished second behind Tamil Nadu in Group C.

But Vidarbha will be missing veteran campaigner Faiz Fazal, who bid farewell to his career after the last group stage game in which they defeated Haryana by 115 runs.

Captain Akshay Wadkar (431 runs), Dhruv Shorey (427) and former Karnataka batsman Karun Nair (391) have been at the forefront of leading Vidarbha with the bat, while in the bowling department, Aditya Sarwate and Aditya Thackeray have done well with each scoring 30 runs. Has taken over the responsibility from. Every wicket.

The absence of Devdutt Padikkal (556 runs at an average of 92.66 in 4 matches) will be felt in the Karnataka camp, but players like Manish Pandey (464) and Sharath Srinivas (429) can shoulder the batting responsibilities.

The all-round talent of fast bowler Vaisakh Vijayakumar will also be an important factor for Karnataka.

Saurashtra confident against Tamil Nadu

Some of Saurashtra’s all-time greats have traveled to Coimbatore to take on Tamil Nadu, who have made it to the Ranji Trophy knockouts for the first time in six years.

Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 780 runs (78.1, 3x100s, 2x50s) this season along with captain Arpit Vasavada (440) and Prerak Mankad (426).

Gaurav Yadav (Pondicherry) and Hitesh Walunj (Maharashtra) are both out of the race for most wickets (41) this season, leaving Saurashtra’s Dharmendrasinh Jadeja open to establishing himself as the leading wicket-taker with 39 wickets. Are in.

Saurashtra finished second behind Vidarbha in Group M, while Tamil Nadu has registered some big wins including defeating Punjab by nine wickets.

Narayan Jagadeesan (775) is just six runs behind Pujara in the run-scorers’ list, while Baba Inderjeet has once again shown consistency in the domestic circuit, scoring 606 runs in seven matches.

TN spinners R Sai Kishore (38 wickets) and S Ajit Ram (36) have combined to do the hunting and Saurashtra batsmen will be wary of their exploits in home conditions.

MPs beware of Andhra’s all-round power!

Host Madhya Pradesh will have to give its best performance against the dangerous Andhra team, which is undefeated in three matches, at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

Ricky Bhui (861 runs at 86.1, 4x100s, 3x50s) has produced a season’s best performance with the bat, while India batsman Hanuma Vihari (453) has also played some important innings.

Andhra finished second behind Mumbai in Group B, indicating their form and confidence heading into this knockout game.

On the other hand, 2021-22 Ranji Trophy winners MP have the distinction of remaining unbeaten this season.

Venkatesh Iyer (510 runs) and Kumar Karthikeya (34) have been the in-form players for MP, who have registered some one-sided wins in this quarter-final encounter.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)