BGL vs MPD Match Prediction & Betting Tips - Feb 08, 2023
After a long tussle that has lasted for over a couple of months, we finally have our semifinalists in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23. With only three matches to go and that too right before the commencement of Indian Premier League, the interest just cannot be higher.
In the first of the two semifinals, we have Madhya Pradesh all set to take on Bengal in what will be a desperate attempt towards the title. Madhya Pradesh haven't been as successful historically as Bengal have and will be itching to make this run count. Bengal, on the other hand, would want to assert their lost dominance.
The match between the two sides is to be played from the morning of 7th February 2023 at the Holkar Stadium, Indore.
BGL vs MPD Team Previews
Bengal
Bengal were undoubtedly one of the best sides of the tournament in the build-up to the knockouts and that is apparent by the dominance they showed in the league stage too. Having said that, they could be perceived a little lucky given the way other sides performed in the Elite, Group A.
At the end of the league stage, Bengal ended up with 32 points to their name with a quotient of 1.573, thanks to four wins and a loss from a total of seven matches. Had their bowling had a tad more spark, they could have done a lot better, but it wouldn't have made any difference as they anyway finished at the top of the Group A ladder, three points clear of Uttarakhand.
They are coming off an imposing win over Jharkhand in the quarter-final and will be brimming with confidence. Bowling first on a sporting surface, Bengal's bowlers made merry as they restricted Jharkhand to a total of 173 runs before their batsmen piled up a 328-run total, handing them a handsome first-innings lead. It was business as usual in the second half of the match too as Bengal just needed to score 67 runs to win and they did that with considerable ease.
On paper, Bengal have a pretty good side this time around with the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Manoj Tiwary, and Shahbaz Ahmed available at their disposal. Their bowling looks solid as well with a decent pace battery coupled with a few excellent spinning options available. We have seen contributions coming in from all of their order with no over-reliant on one or two players.They would want that to be the case in this upcoming match too and if that happens, Madhya Pradesh will have their work cut out.
Bengal Playing 11
Anustup Mazumdar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Abhishek Porel, Akash Deep, Karan Lal, Mukesh Kumar, Pradipta Pramanik, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sudip Gharami, Ishan Porel, Manoj Tiwary.
Madhya Pradesh
Just like Bengal, Madhya Pradesh have been phenomenal in the build-up to the knockouts. They were excellent in the league stage, overpowering almost all the sides they met and then continued to keep the momentum with a solid win in the quarterfinal. Historically, Madhya Pradesh haven't had many such tournaments and they will want to make this run count.
In the league stage, Madhya Pradesh were excellent as they not only finished at the top of the table with 33 points to their name, they lost just one match out of a total of five played. They ended with a quotient of 1.414, which again shows how dominating they were. So far in their campaign, they have won six matches and lost just one from a total of eight matches played, which includes a win in the quarter-final.
It wasn't an easy game for Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final but they did an excellent job to hold their nerve after conceding the first innings lead. Bowling first, their bowlers looked out of sorts as they allowed Andhra Pradesh to rack up a total of 379. In reply, their batsmen managed to put 228 runs putting them in a disadvantageous position. It was just about then that their bowlers scripted a historical performance to restrict Andhra Pradesh to just 93 runs. Madhya Pradesh still needed to bat well to chase dwn 245 runs in the fourth innings and they did precisely that. Avesh Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, and Gaurav Yadav were the picks in the bowling for Madhya Pradesh. With the bat, it was an excellent team-effort with the likes of Yash Dubey, Shubham Sharma, and Rajat Patidar contributing.
On paper, Madhya Pradesh have a decent side but the lack of experience is well and truly apparent. They survived a massive scare against Andhra and would not want to be in such a situation once again. It's a high-pressure match and they'd need to use all their experience. If they can do that, getting past them could prove to be a rather difficult task.
Madhya Pradesh Playing 11
Avesh Khan, Aditya Shrivastava, Anubhav Agarwal, Gaurav Yadav, Himanshu Mantri, Kumar Kartikeya, Rajat Patidar, Saransh Jain, Shubham Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Yash Dubey.
BGL vs MPD Toss Prediction
Toss, more often than not, plays a very crucial role when it comes to cricket in India. Batting fourth is always challenging and when it's not expected to be overcast on the first morning, the teams generally favor batting first. Besides, this is a high-pressure game and no team would want to bat fourth on a deteriorated surface. That said, the captain might want to utilize the early morning surface on the first day of the match. Given the stakes involved and the weather, we expect both captains to play it safe and elect to bat first after winning the toss.
Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.
Pitch and Conditions
With temperatures hovering around 25 degrees centigrade right throughout the course of the match and almost zero chances of rain, it is expected to be a superb time to play cricket at Indore. Cool weather and nice breeze flowing across would keep bowlers interested whereas the short boundaries would tempt batsmen to go for their shots. The surface is likely to be excellent for batting for the first couple of days with spinners gradually taking hold of the game. Given the short boundaries at the venue, the runs should come thick and fast. Keeping all that into consideration, the team batting first would want to put up a total of at least 380 runs batting first.
BGL vs MPD Betting Tips
With a spot in the finale at stake, both sides are expected to come out hard at each other. Skill levels aside, a lot will depend on how the two sides handle the pressure. Bengal do look a side with experience available right throughout and that could be a handy difference in crunch situations. They also have an excellent battery of all-rounders available, lending immaculate balance to their squad. Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, enjoy home advantage coming into this match. Considering that and all other factors stated above, we believe Bengal are slightly better positioned to pip Madhya Pradesh and stroll to the finale of the Ranji Trophy 2022-23.
Bonus Cricket Bets
The surface is expected to be true to bat on, at least on the first couple of days, and with short boundaries on offer, there will be runs on offer right through. Both sides have decent batting lineups available and would want to make merry here. Factoring that in and the odds on offer, it makes all the sense to bat on the match total to exceed 1049 runs.
Shahbaz Ahmed has been brilliant in all the cricket he has played in recent times across the three formats. He played a pivotal role in the quarter-final match, contributing with the bat as well as with the bat. We expect him to play a vital role once again. Given the skills he possess and his ability to contribute in all three facets of the game, he is a prime candidate to be the player of the match.
Who will win BGL vs MPD
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Match Predictions
Cricket Betting Tips
- Runs in the highest scoring over of the match - Over 20.5 (1.827) and 2 more DC vs MI betting tips
- Lucknow Super Giants to win the toss - 1.90 and 4 more LSG vs RR betting tips
- Mohammad Rizwan to become the top batter in the game. - 3.45 and 3 more PAK vs NZ betting tips
- Gujarat Titans to win the toss - 1.90 and 4 more GT vs RCB betting tips
- ayley Matthews to emerge as the top batter with over 24 runs in the game. - 1.85 and 3 more PAKW vs WIW betting tips
We are eager to know what you think of our match predictions, if there is anything we can do better or if you want to let us know your own predictions for the match.