Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019-20: Preview – November 11

As on November 8 and 9, the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will feature 18 matches on the third day of the tournament, November 11.

Group A: Bihar vs Services, Andhra vs Karnataka (both Visakhapatnam), Baroda vs Uttarakhand (Vizianagram)

Goa, the only team to have won both matches, will miss out on Day 3. Bihar and Uttarakhand, who have lost both their matches, will take on Services (a win in their only match) and Baroda (1 out of 2). Defending champions Karnataka, whose 15-match winning streak met with an end against Baroda, will face Andhra, who have also won their only match.

Predicted winners: Services, Karnataka, Baroda.

Group B: Manipur vs Vidarbha (Thumba), Tamil Nadu vs Uttar Pradesh, Kerala vs Tripura (both Thiruvananthapuram)

Having won both their matches, Vidarbha and Tamil Nadu will now face Manipur and Uttar Pradesh respectively; both sides are winless at this point. Kerala have lost their only match as well, but they will still take field as favourites against Tripura, whose only win has come against Manipur.

Predicted winners: Vidarbha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.

Group C: Chhattisgarh vs Railways, Himachal Pradesh vs Hyderabad, Arunachal Pradesh vs Maharashtra, Chandigarh vs Punjab (all Chandigarh)

Chhattisgarh have won both their matches, as have – somewhat surprisingly – Chandigarh, who are playing the tournament for the first time. They will play Railways and Punjab, both of whom have won a match apiece. The winless Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh will clash against Hyderabad and Maharashtra respectively.

Predicted winners: Chhattisgarh, Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Punjab.

Group D: Mizoram vs Puducherry, Bengal vs Meghalaya, Assam vs Haryana, Madhya Pradesh vs Mumbai (all Mumbai)

An unbeaten Mumbai will host Madhya Pradesh, while Bengal will probably have an easy opposition in Meghalaya. Assam and Haryana will both want to get off the mark, while Puducherry and Mizoram will fight for 2 crucial points.

Predicted winners: Mumbai, Bengal, Assam, Puducherry.

Group E: Delhi vs Nagaland, Gujarat vs Saurashtra, Jammu and Kashmir vs Jharkhand, Odisha vs Sikkim (all Surat)

Having lost both matches, Delhi will desperately want to beat Nagaland. Jharkhand should get the better of Jammu and Kashmir, while Odisha are favourites Sikkim. The Gujarat-Saurashtra clash, however, may turn out to be the most intensely fought clash of the day across groups.

Predicted winners: Delhi, Saurashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha.