BHR vs MNP Team Previews
Bihar
Before being divided into two separate states of Jharkhand and Bihar, the best performance of the Bihar Cricket team came in the 1975-76 season, when they finished as the runners-up. However, with most of the state’s infrastructure going into Jharkhand, Bihar state was no longer represented on the national stage.
They were however brought back into Ranji fold from the 2018-19 season and since then have grown strength to strength.
It hasn’t been an easy road to the finals for Bihar, as they managed to win just 1 of their 5 matches in the league stage, finishing 4th on the points table. They faced Meghalaya in the semifinals and defeated them by a hefty margin of 302 runs to earn their first-ever finals spot in the Plate Group.
The top-order batsmen have played consistently well for the team. Babul Kumar is the top scorer with 469 runs, while Sachin Kumar and Sakibul Gani have provided him with great support. Wicketkeeper-batsman Bipin Saurabh has scored 2 centuries so far, including in the semifinals to lend heft to the middle order.
Ashutosh Aman is the pick of the bowlers with 24 wickets while Sachin Kumar has showcased his all-round abilities on more than one occasion to claim 17 wickets. Overall, the Bihar team has some good individual performers but they will need to perform well as a single unit to overcome Manipur in this game.
Bihar Playing 11
Ashutosh Aman, Babul Kumar, Bipin Sourabh, Harsh Singh, Nawaz, Rishav Raj, Sachin Kumar, Shivam Singh, Sakibul Gani, Varun Raj, Veer Pratap Singh.
Manipur
Manipur played exceedingly well in the group stages, winning 3 of its 5 matches and facing just 1 defeat to finish 3rd on the points table. They faced a formidable Sikkim in a closely fought semifinals but managed to hold their nerves till the end to register a narrow 2-wicket win. Ahmed Shah, playing his first match of the season, scored a brilliant cameo of 43 from just 30 deliveries to see his team through to their first-ever finals.
Captain Langlonyamba Keishangbam has led from the front, scoring 394 runs at an average of 43.77. Prafullomani Singh, Basir Rahman, and Ronald Longjam too have played some good innings this season. However, it is the bowlers who have powered Manipur’s success this season.
Pheiroijam Jotin and Kishan Singha have both picked up 33 wickets so far, and have received good support from Bishworjit Konthoujam and Rex Singh. In the semifinals, Jotin picked up 9 wickets and Singha picked up 4 wickets to contain the explosive Sikkim batsmen and was instrumental in leading their team to a win.
The Manipur batsmen will need to step up their performance in this match if they want to beat their formidable opponents.
Manipur Playing 11
Ahmed Shah, Basir Rahman, Bikash Singh, Bishworjit Konthoujam, Kangabam Singh, L Kishan Singha, Langlonyamba Keishangbam, Pheiroijam Singh, Prafullomani Singh, Rex Rajkumar, Ronald Longjam.
BHR vs MNP Betting Tips
With both teams playing in the Plate Group finals for the first time, there will surely be some nerves and jitters as the players take the field. We feel that the Bihar team holds a slight edge here due to their strong batting line-up. Also, the team bats quite deep, making it difficult for the Manipur bowlers to prevent a big score.
Bet on Bihar to win.
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Top bowler for Manipur in 1st innings
Jotin Pheiroijam (4.00)
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Jotin Pheiroijam is the joint-highest wicket-taker for Manipur with 33 wickets in 6 matches. He holds the record for best bowling figures in an inning for this season, picking up 9 for 69 against Sikkim. He has two 5-wicket hauls against his name this season and is likely to exploit the conditions at Patna.
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.