Kerala vs Saurashtra Chances of Winning

Kerala’s run in the tournament has been on a gradual downward trend, and they wound up losing to Karnataka in the last game. The latter were allowed to post 586 runs on the board, and Kerala’s chase was absolutely miserable. They scored 238 runs in their first innings with the bat, and Baba Aparajith was the only standout batter as he notched up 88 runs. Following on, they were bundled out for a measly 184 runs which resulted in a massive defeat by a margin of an innings and 164 runs.

Saurashtra, on the other hand, were competitive in the last outing versus Maharashtra where the first day was washed out. The former, having batted first, secured a 394-run stand with huge contributions from Harvik Desai, Jay Gohil and Arpit Vasavada who scored 132, 115 and 73* runs, respectively. Maharashtra were 55/1 during their chase when the sides ran out of time, leading to a draw.

• Kerala chance of winning - 45%
• Saurashtra chance of winning - 55%

Kerala vs Saurashtra Betting Tips

Kerala to score low before first dismissal

Kerala have sent out a different opening pair in each of the four innings they have played thus far which has led to a great deal of struggle for improvement. In the last three matches, Krishna Prasad, Nedumankuzhy Basil, MD Nidheesh, Vathsal Govind, Akshay Chandran and Rohan Kunnummal opened for the team, having scored 9, 19, 4 and 23 runs together before the first dismissal. Based on their subpar performances, they are expected to remain on the backfoot against Saurashtra’s openers.

Kerala vs Saurashtra Toss Prediction

The last match between Karnataka and Kerala was held at KCA Cricket Ground was the first game in the Ranji Trophy hosted at the venue. The former elected to bat first and it paid dividends as they posted a 500+ total and defended it rather easily. This outcome will certainly prompt the toss winning side to bat first in the upcoming match, too.

Weather Report

Mangalapuram will be sunny and conducive for the game as there is no threat of precipitation whatsoever. The temperature is expected to reach 29 degrees Celsius.

Kerala Player List

Mohammed Azharuddeen (c), Ahammed Imran, Rohan Kunnummal, Sachin Baby, Salman Nizar, Vathsal Govind, Akshay Chandran, Vaisakh Chandran, Jalaj Saxena, Ankit Sharma, Baba Aparajith, Shoun Roger, Sanju Samson, Eden Apple Tom, MD Nidheesh, Nedumankuzhy Basil, Mampuzha Harikrishnan.

Predicted Playing XI

Nedumankuzhy Basil	Bowler
MD Nidheesh	Bowler
Vaisakh Chandran	All-rounder
Baba Aparajith	All-rounder
Sachin Baby	Batter
Akshay Chandran	All-rounder
Mohammed Azharuddeen (C)	Wicket-keeper
Ahammed Imran	Batter
Shoun Roger	Batter
Mampuzha Harikrishnan	Bowler
Eden Apple Tom	Bowler

Kerala Team Form

Kerala have been completely off the mark in the tournament so far, particularly in terms of their batting displays. They are absolutely not in a position to pose a threat to Saurashtra in the next game.

Saurashtra Player List

Jaydev Unadkat (c), Ansh Gosai, Arpit Vasavada, Hetvik Kotak, Jay Gohil, Kevin Jivrajani, Tarang Gohel, Chirag Jani, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Parth Bhut, Prerak Mankad, Sammar Gajjar, Harvik Desai, Ankur Panwar, Chetan Sakariya, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya.

Predicted Playing XI

Harvik Desai	Wicket-keeper
Chirag Jani	All-rounder
Jay Gohil	Batter
Arpit Vasavada	Batter
Ansh Gosai	Batter
Prerak Mankad	All-rounder
Sammar Gajjar	All-rounder
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja	Al-rounder
Jaydev Unadkat (C)	All-rounder
Chetan Sakariya	Bowler
Yuvrajsinh Dodiya	Bowler

Saurashtra Team Form

Saurashtra are yet to win a game but given their stellar performances with the bat, they are certainly on an upward trajectory going forward.

Kerala vs Saurashtra Head-to-Head

Kerala have a slight edge over Saurashtra with two wins in the three head-to-head matches between the sides so far.

Head-to-Head Record

Total - 3

Kerala - 2

Saurashtra - 1

Kerala vs Saurashtra Betting Odds

Saurashtra to have a better opening partnership than Kerala

Kerala have made desperate attempts to improve their first partnerships by making constant changes to their opening lineup but it has not paid off yet. In the last three matches, they have had varied opening batters which resulted in meager totals of 9, 19, 4 and 23 runs. They absolutely pale in comparison to Saurashtra’s Harvik Desai and Chirag Jan who have added 26, 60, 140 and 21 runs to the first wicket in the last three outings. The latter are evidently superior in this aspect which makes them the favorite opening pair in the next game as well.

Kerala vs Saurashtra Best Batters

Baba Aparajith to be Kerala’s Best Batter

Baba Aparajith emerged as Kerala’s top run scorer against Karnataka last time out as he scored 88 and 19 runs in the two innings. He stands as their top batter overall, having amassed 164 runs in four innings. He has two half-centuries under his belt so far along with an average of 41.00, and he is expected to lead the charge against Saurashtra as well.

Chirag Jani to be Saurashtra’s Best Batter

Chirag Jani was not the leading batter for Saurashtra last time around considering he was dismissed after scoring 13 runs against Maharashtra. Nevertheless, he is their second leading run scorer with 200 runs in four innings, including two half-centuries. Averaging at 50.00, he is the top choice for the upcoming match.

Kerala vs Saurashtra Best Bowlers

Nedumankuzhy Basil to be Kerala’s Best Bowler

As predicted, Nedumankuzhy Basil was the leading wicket-taker for Kerala in the previous match against Karnataka where he picked two wickets in 32 overs, including three maidens and an economy rate of 3.15. He is their top bowler thus far with eight wickets in four innings, and although his average of 31.25 could improve, he is anticipated to come out on top in the next match, too.

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja to be Saurashtra’s Best Bowler

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja did not get a chance to bowl in the previous game against Maharashtra but he remains Saurashtra’s leading bowler overall with ten wickets in two innings and an average of 20.30. His consistency makes him the leading contender in the upcoming game against Kerala.

Our Prediction

Kerala’s form has been below par in the competition thus far, and they are all the way down in seventh place - the penultimate position - of the Group B standings with two draws, a defeat and a substandard net run rate of 0.455. Although Saurashtra are only two spots higher in fifth position, they are significantly more competitive with the bat as they drew three matches and ended up with a brilliant net run rate of 1.142. The latter are expected to put an end to their dry spell and take their first win of the season against the Mohammed Azharuddeen-led team.