Ajinkya Rahane & Co eye maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali title against HP today

Himachal Pradesh, without the big names in their ranks, may pale in comparison to a star-studded Mumbai, but they pose a real and present danger given their exploits in recent years, and particularly on their path to the title-match

Mumbai’s overflowing trophy cabinet is not quite complete yet, and Ajinkya Rahane & Co has the chance to set that right at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, symbol of supremacy in the country’s domestic T20 cricket, is the missing piece of silverware and many may want to believe that it’s all but within Mumbai’s grasp. A closer look will reveal a slippery slope.

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Star-studded line-up

Himachal Pradesh, without the big names in their ranks, may pale in comparison to a star-studded Mumbai, but they pose a real and present danger given their exploits in recent years, and particularly on their path to the title-match. Presenting clarity of purpose as an unit with well-defined roles, Rishi Dhawan and his men have ensured that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Having taken care of Bengal and Punjab in the quarters and semis to make their first-ever final, Himachal, the reigning Vijay Hazare Trophy champions, will be full of belief in their capabilities.

Of course, Mumbai, first-time finalists too, go into the match as favourites. Despite being depleted with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav doing national duty in Australia, they still have several players from the top drawer. Two of them, Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw, made sure Mumbai eased past Vidarbha in Thursday’s semi-finals. Add Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dubey to that and it makes for formidable firepower.

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Banking on Rishi Dhawan

Rishi Dhawan has to step up again with his fast-medium to inspire and ensure that Himachal’s bowling unit keeps a marauding Mumbai on a leash.

Sumeet Verma and Akash Vasisht showed on Thursday how devastating they can be at the crease, and Mumbai will have to come up with well-defined plans for this experienced right-and-left combo.

On an Eden wicket that promises to lend itself nicely to stroke-making, a battle royale is in the offing.

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