Bengal vs Meghalaya, SMAT, Today Match Prediction 01 December 2024

BGL vs MGLY Match Prediction & Analysis

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 matchup between Bengal and Meghalaya features two teams who are coming on the back of a heavy loss. In the case of Bengal, it is a defeat against Madhya Pradesh that has robbed the team of the positivity buildup from the winning start to the season. Meanwhile, Meghalaya saw their problems extend even further after going through a nine-wicket loss against Rajasthan in a recent match. This was the fourth consecutive loss for the team, who are yet to avoid a loss in any of the matches.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Bengal Preview

Bengal are shaken after the first defeat of the season. Just when it seemed that the team would be pushing for a top spot in the group, they have fallen four points behind Madhya Pradesh after the latest result. However, the team continues to hold a lot of positives. The top-order batting performance in the recent match was a big positive. 

In of individual performances, the form of Karan Lal is one of those positives. He has been able to hit 159 runs from his four innings at an average of 39.75. The challenge for Bengal will be to translate the performances from the top order into the middle and lower order. On the bowling front, the team were left very disappointed against Madhya Pradesh, but there could be an improvement on the bowling front.

Kanishk Seth and Sayan Ghosh were able to return with two wickets each from the recent game. Both players will once again be crucial, especially in the early few overs of the match.

Bengal Predicted Playing XI:

Abishek Porel, Karan Lal, Habib Gandhi, Sudip Kumar Gharami (c), Shahbaz Ahmed, Writtick Chatterjee, Ritwik Roy Chowdhury, Pradipta Pramanik, Mohammed Shami, Kanishk Seth, Sayan Ghosh

Meghalaya Preview

Meghalaya are heading into the game on the back of four consecutive losses. Going back to last season, Meghalaya have gone through five consecutive losses. Now, the team is standing at the possibility of a fifth loss in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The poor performances across the board are likely to be a concern with the team bowled out for less than 100 in the recent game against Rajasthan.

As expected, Anish Charak steps in as the top batsman alongside Arpit Bhatewara. Both players have been averaging less than 30 runs a match in the last several matches. The troubles are unlikely to dissipate against a strong team like Bengal. The key bowlers for the visiting outfit would be Akash Choudhary and Anish Charak. The spinners of Meghalaya will be hoping to capitalize on the surface in the middle overs of the game, as there is expected to be more assistance for spin bowlers.

Meghalaya Predicted Playing XI:

Arien Sangma, Arpit Bhatewara, Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva, Roshan Warbah, Wanlambok Nongkhlaw, Anish Charak, Swarajeet Das, Akash Choudhary (c), Ram Gurung, Dippu Sangma, Himan Phukan

Weather Conditions

The pitch will be a batting delight in the first few overs of the game. Therefore, teams will be keen on maximizing this position. At an average score of 165 over the last 10 games on this venue, the pitch is expected to be moderately good for batting. The weather in Rajkot is expected to swing between a high of 31°C and a low of 19°C.

BGL vs MGLY Pitch Report

The Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is undoubtedly a batting surface that has provided plenty of trouble for trying to make an impression. The average score over the last 10 games on this ground stands at an impressive 165. Among the bowlers, spinners will have more assistance as the game wears on.

Toss: To Bat

The preference amongst teams – when it comes to making the toss decision at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium – has been to bat first. Even though both Meghalaya and Bengal lost the recent match despite batting first, they came up against strong opponents.