Maharashtra vs Railways, VHT, Today Match Prediction

MHA vs RWS Match Prediction & Analysis

Maharashtra will take on Railways in the 115th match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 5th January 2024 at 9 am IST. The tournament is being played in 6 different groups and this encounter is one of the league games in Group B.

Maharashtra and Railways feature in Group B and are two of the top three teams in the group so far after five games each. Maharashtra with five wins in five matches are at the top of the table, whereas Railways with four wins in five games are in the third spot. A win here will help Maharashtra keep the top spot, while railways could move a place up to the second spot. A lot is on the line in this crucial game in Group B.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Maharashtra Preview

Maharashtra are the top team in Group B after 5 games each so far in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. They are yet to lose a match and have won 5 consecutive games to claim the top spot. They have two crucial encounters remaining against two top teams in Group B, Railways and Andhra. Maharashtra would be keen to win this game against Railways and keep pushing for the top spot.

While Maharashtra won all the matches comfortably, there was some resistance by Rajasthan in Maharashtra's 1st game of the season. However, Maharashtra ended up winning it quite comprehensively by 3 wickets with 45 balls remaining.  Bowling first, Maharashtra restricted Rajasthan to 215. Rajneesh Gurbani took 4 wickets for 35 runs.  In response, Maharashtra got over the line in the 43rd over with 3 wickets in hand. At one point, they were 89 for 5. But Ankit Bavne's unbeaten innings of 74 runs made sure Maharashtra got over the line comfortably.

The next two games were 9-wicket wins for Maharashtra against weak teams such as Meghalaya and Services. Maharashtra won the fourth game against Himachal by 84 runs after scoring 360 batting first. Siddhesh Veer scored a simulating century of 155 runs in just 119 balls. 

In the previous game, Maharashtra ed a huge win by 8 wickets against Sikkim. Om Bhosale was the player of the match with 94 not out in that game. Gurbani with 11 wickets is Maharashtra's top bowler. Maharashtra batters have scored multiple centuries in this season so far. The team looks set for another win against Railways.

Key players: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Om Bhosale, Siddhesh Veer, Ankit Bawne

Maharashtra Predicted Playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Om Bhosale, Siddhesh Veer, Ankit Bawne, Rahul Tripathi, Azim Kazi, Nikhil Naik (wk), Divyang Hinganekar, Hitesh Walunj, RS Hangargekar, Pradeep Dadhe

Railways Preview

Railways too have had a good season so far with 4 wins in 5 games. They are tied at 16 points with Andhra, but owing to a lower net win rate, railways are placed 3rd just below Andhra at the 2nd place while Maharashtra are placed at the top. There are very good teams and there are very bad teams in Group B. There is no one in between. Thankfully, the Railways feature in one of those good teams. They too have two crucial matches pending against Maharashtra and Rajasthan placed fourth in the points table.

Railways started the season with a loss against another good team Andhra. Bowling first, Railways conceded 294 runs. Rahul Sharma took four wickets whereas Yuvraj Singh took three. Railways' batting was not up to the mark as they fell short by 91 runs. Upendra Yadav, the captain, top scored with 64 runs. Multiple people got stars but did not convert into a big score.

Railways won the next four games against four weak teams of Group B. In their second game, they defeated Meghalaya by 132 runs. In the third game, they defeated Services by 7 wickets with 120 balls remaining. Against Sikkim and Himachal, they ed 5 wicket and 3 wicket wins respectively. The next two games will define the fate of Railways in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and both these matches are against tough teams such as Maharashtra and Rajasthan. They lost the only other encounter they had against a good team in Group B which was against Andhra.

Key players: Upendra Yadav, Akash Pandey, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Saif

Railways Predicted Playing XI:

Ashutosh Sharma, Upendra Yadav (c & wk), Suraj Ahuja, Shubham Chaubey, Mohammad Saif, Sahab Yuvraj, Akshat Pandey, Akash Pandey, Rahul Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Ravi Singh

Weather Conditions

The weather on the match day at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is expected to be clear and sunny with no chance of rain. The temperature will range between 29°C and 21°C. Excellent conditions for a one-day game.

MHA vs RWS Pitch Report

One of the most iconic stadiums, not just in India, but in the world. The venue has hosted several Tests, ODIs, and T20 international matches, including both ODI and T20 World Cup finals. The venue has a seating capacity of around 45,000 spectators. The venue has hosted several test ODI and T20 international matches, including both ODI and T20 World Cup finals.

Toss: To Bowl

Out of the 5 games so far at this venue, 4 have been won by the team batting second. The conditions here offer help to the bowlers at the start of the match, while the conditions settle down as the match progresses. The team winning the toss should bat first here.