SRT vs PCA Match Prediction & Betting Tips - Jan 31, 2023

SRT vs PCA Match Prediction - Jan 31, 2023

It's just the time of the year when India's traditional domestic cricket begins to fade away and the IPL begins to take the lead when it comes to the fan following. Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy have already been completed and all eyes are now on the Ranji Trophy, which is now in its knockout stage.

 

We have quarter-finals beginning 31st January onwards with all four matches being played on the same days. It was a promising league stage and eight best teams have ended up in the quarters.

 

In the third quarter-final of the tournament, we have Punjab taking on Saurashtra in what will be an important match for both these sides. They both did pretty well in the two earlier concluded tournaments and would want to make a mark in the Ranji Trophy as well. The match between the two sides is to be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot on January 31st 2022.

 

SRT vs PCA Team Previews

Saurashtra

Saurashtra were clearly not the best side of the tournament in the league stage, being pretty inconsistent throughout, but they ensured that they ended up being one of the two best sides of their group. They will now be looking to use their position and experience to get into the next round but it isn't going to be easy given how inconsistent they were in the earlier stage.

 

They finished at the top of the ladder in their group with 26 points to their name, having won three and lost two matches in total. They ended up with a quotient of 1.277, which helped them trump Andhra Pradesh in the Elite, Group B.

 

As stated above, Saurashtra didn't really have a smooth sail in the league stage and their form actually dipped towards the end. They are coming into the match on the back of a couple of back to back losses - at the hands of Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra.

 

In their last match, Saurashtra failed to chase down a relatively easy total, albeit on the last day's surface. While their bowlers did an excellent job, their batsmen failed to deliver the goods.

 

On paper, Saurashtra have an excellent side with experience available right throughout. Much to their disappointment though, they do not have Jaydev Unadkat, Ravindra Jadeja, or Chetershwar Pujara available for this game. Their over-reliance on Dharmendrasinh Jadeja is well and truly apparent but the good thing is that he has delivered more often than not.

 

All in all, Saurashtra may not be at their full-strength but they still have a very good side available. If they can play to their potential here, Punjab will certainly not find it easy to deal with the Vijay Hazare Trophy champions.

Saurashtra Playing 11

Arpit Vasavada, Sheldon Jackson, Yurajsinh Dodiya, Chirag Jani, Chetan Sakariya, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Harvik Desai, Parth Bhut, Prerak Mankad, Snell Patel, Vishvaraj Jadeja.


Punjab

Punjab had a superb Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign before they went down against Himachal Pradesh, who had an equally good - if not better, tournament. They are doing pretty well in the Ranji Trophy as well and would want to cruise through to the semi-final with a win here in this match. It's not going to be easy given the potential Saurashtra have but Punjab certainly have decent enough chances progress with a win in this match.  

 

Punjab had a league stage campaign that was strikingly similar to that of Saurashtra. They too ended up winning just three games out of a total of seven but in contrast they also didn't lose any of their matches. They finished with 27 points and a quotient of 1.605, behind only Madhya Pradesh.

 

Punjab had a pretty good run towards the end of the league stage as they drew against Vidarbha after defeating Madhya Pradesh by a mammoth margin of an innings and 122 runs. In their last three matches, they have won twice and drawn once - speaking volumes about the momentum they have. They will also be brimming with confidence owing to their spectacular performances, of late.

 

With the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Gill available, Punjab have no dearth of experience. They also have Mandeep Singh available in the middle, who can turn the game around with his experience. Their bowling looks a little inexperienced though and that is one of the major concerns they would be having going into this high-pressure match. Also, Abhishek Sharma's participation in this game is doubtful as he hurt his shoulder in the last match.

 

While Punjab have the momentum and have done a terrific job of not losing any match up until now, lack of experience might be a factor for them. If Abhishek Sharma ends up missing this match, they will have a rather tough job at their hands. On the contrary, they have done tremendously well as a team and there hasn't been any over-reliance on only a few players. All Punjab would need to do is to play as they have so far and if that happens, getting past them could prove to be pretty challenging for the hosts in this pressure-cooker match.

Punjab Playing 11

Anmolpreet Singh, Anmol Malhotra, Baltej Singh, Naman Dhir, Nehal Wadhera, Pukhraj Mann, Vinay Choudhary, Mayank Markande, Mandeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Siddarth Kaul.

SRT vs PCA Toss Prediction

A knockout match is always a high-pressure game and this would be no different. It's expected to be nice and pleasant at Rajkot with batting being easy. The weather would be sunny too and teams are likely to avoid batting fourth. Considering that and the other factors, the captain winning the toss is expected to bat first.

Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.

Pitch and Conditions

Rajkot has traditionally been a batting paradise and the same is likely to be true, at least for the most part of the match. We might see some early morning assistance for the quicker bowlers and some assistance for the spinners towards the end on what otherwise is likely to be a road-like surface. Bowlers will have to toil hard and batsmen once set can make merry. The first innings lead could eventually turn out to be the differentiator between a spot in the semi-final and missing out on one. A total of 400 batting first would be bare minimum that the team would want to put on the board.

SRT vs PCA Betting Tips

Punjab and Saurashtra have both struggled with consistency in the tournament so far, but Punjab have definitely done better with no losses against their name, at least up until now. Saurashtra will be without three of their key players and that has certainly left a huge void in their lineup. Punjab, on the other hand, will be at their full-strength if Abhishek Sharma is fit and available. Momentum-wise as well, Punjab seems to be doing better than Saurashtra. Considering that and the other factors stated above, we would be placing our bets on a Punjab win and so should you.

Bonus Cricket Bets

  1. 1xBet

    1xBet

    Total Runs - Match - Over 1049.5

    1.91

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Rajkot has always been known for its road-like track and we don't expect anything to be different this time as well. Both these sides have pretty well equipped batting units and should enjoy batting on this surface. It's likely to be a high-scoring game with first innings totals to be differentiators. Bet on the match total to exceed 1049 runs.

  1. 10CRIC

    10CRIC

    Best Batsman - Saurashtra - Ankit Vasavada

    5.50

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With Ravi Jadeja and Cheteshwar Pujara both missing, the onus will be on Ankit Vasavada to deal the bulk of the damage with the bat. He is someone who enjoys responsibility and has looked in decent touch too. Bet on Ankit Vasavada to be the top-scorer from Saurashtra's camp.

  1. 1xBet

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    Best Bowler - Saurashtra

    4.65

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Spinners have enjoyed more success in the tournament as compared to the quicker bowlers and that has to be attributed to the kind of surfaces we have had. We expect the same to persist in this match too and there's no one better than Dharmendrasinh Jadeja from Saurashtra's camp who can be the better candidate of picking most wickets in the match. A bet on Dharmendrasinh Jadeja is certainly an excellent prospect for those looking to play it safe and yet get handsome rewards.

Today Match Prediction

Punjab To Win the Match, 1.69

Bet Tip Here

Who will win SRT vs PCA

Saurashtra 50.0% (0)
Punjab 50.0% (0)
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