Mitsui Shoji Cup Grand Finale: City Riders favourites to lift the cup
Block your calendars. 6 PM, May 18th, Monday. After the two absolute thrillers witnessed in the semi-finals, Mumbai gets ready for the ultimate battle. A battle for pride and prestige at the highest stage. Where all energies will be directed towards one goal- The coveted Mitsui Shoji Cup, the 5th edition. The final, which will be played at Mumbai Police Gymkhana, Marine Lines witnesses two contrasting teams in the tournament who will fight for the trophy.
A tournament organized by Mumbai Cricket Club that consisted of 22 matches played between 5 teams, provided the stage to more than 150 players. There were one sided matches, close finishes, individual performances and great spells but in the end it was the game of cricket that brought everyone closer and the tournament was enjoyed and appreciated by one and all.
We analyse the journey of both teams to the finals and see how they meet up:
Road to the final
City Riders who defeated their opponents both times they met in league stage will be high on confidence, especially after the thrilling semi-final win. A win which they snatched from the defeat of jaws. Overall, they had a great run, winning 5 out of 7 league encounters, all by good margins. They were challenged in the semi-finals, but a couple of brilliant performances steered them through to the finals.
Ghatkopar Jets on the other hand, were the dark horses. They won only 3 out of their 8 league encounters but peaked when it mattered the most i.e. in the semi-final and therefore find themselves in the title race. Only thing against them is the two losses they had to incur to their final opponents in the league stage. Final is a different game all together, but City Riders have a huge psychological advantage.
Best Performers
For City Riders, Akash Parkar is the top scorer with 209 runs in 5 innings. Santosh Shinde who got back into form in the semi-final with a match winning 68* stands second at 151 runs. He also tops the bowling charts for his team with 10 wickets in 5 matches. Vinayak Bhoir has taken the most number of catches for his team i.e. 3.
They also hold the record for crossing the 200 mark thrice in the tournament and hold 3 of the 4 highest team totals in the tournament. Their highest score of 218/7 came against Ghatkopar Jets which shows their dominance over their final opponents.
For Ghatkopar Jets, Vinayak Samant is the highest run getter for his team with 183 runs in 8 innings. Akshay Darekar tops the overall bowling chart with 13 wickets in just 5 matches. Vinayak Samant again finds his name, this time in the fielding chart with 5 catches, the most for his team.
Our View
Ghatkopar Jets gathered themselves just in time and some stellar performances towards the end enabled them to enter the finals. But the fact that City Riders defeated them comfortably in league stage twice tilts the balance largely in favour of Riders. City Riders should prevent themselves from being over confident while Ghatkopar Jets can hope of a magical turnaround and upset the favourites to win the title.
Article By:
Sumanyu Jain
Regional Manager & Editor @CricketGraph