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NEW DELHI: A captivating contest between two evenly matched sides awaits as Saurashtra and Vidarbha lock horns in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence grounds on Sunday.

While Saurashtra will be chasing a third title, Vidarbha will be eyeing their maiden triumph.

Unlike previous editions, neither side boasts a star-studded line-up.

However, both teams have functioned like a well-drilled unit in this tournament, with their batters and bowlers stepping up collectively to overcome stronger opponents on their way to the summit clash.

Batting units firing in unison

Saurashtra have drawn confidence from skipper Harvik Desai, their leading run-scorer with 561 runs, while Vishvaraj Jadeja played a decisive role in the semifinal against Punjab with a scintillating century.

Vidarbha, meanwhile, have relied heavily on Aman Mokhade, the tournament’s highest run-getter with 781 runs, along with Dhruv Shorey, who has accumulated 515 runs.

A classical opener, Mokhade has stood out with his consistency, and his hundred in the semifinal against Karnataka here was a lesson in composure and smart chase management.

Ravikumar Samarth has also proved his worth in the middle order with timely contributions, scoring 427 runs in the competition.

Bowling depth and conditions to play key role

There is little to separate the two sides on the batting front, and the bowling departments present a similar picture.

For Saurashtra, pacers Ankur Panwar (21 wickets) and Chetan Sakariya (15) have been effective with the new ball and at the death, maintaining pressure throughout the innings.

Vidarbha have leaned on Nachiket Bhut (15) and Yash Thakur (15) to lead their pace attack, and the duo will be keen to deliver once again in the final.

Darshan Nalkande (12) adds experience and control in the middle and death overs, with his late burst against Karnataka in the semifinals here highlighting his skill and temperament.

The toss is expected to play a significant role due to the dew that typically settles in during the second innings, making bowling first a tempting option.

Teams chasing have won four of the six knockout matches played at the CoE 1 and 2 grounds, a trend that also tends to limit the influence of spinners, especially later in the game.

That said, Vidarbha captain and left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey could still prove effective with his ability to keep batters in check.

Beyond conditions and match-ups, both sides will need to handle the pressure of the occasion, with Vidarbha, last year’s runners-up to Karnataka, and Saurashtra aiming to stay composed and clear the final hurdle.

Teams:

Vidarbha: Harsh Dubey (c), Yash Thakur (vc), Atharva Taide, Dhruv Shorey, Aman Mokhade, Yash Rathod, Shivam Deshmukh (wk), Akshay Wadkar, Nachiket Bhute, Darshan Nalkande, R. Samarth, Parth Rekhade, Dipesh Parwani, Praful Hinge, Shubham Dubey, Ganesh Bhosle.

Saurashtra: Harvik Desai (wk/c), Vishvaraj Jadeja, Prerak Mankad, Sammar Gajjar, Chirag Jani, Ruchit Ahir, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Ankur Panwar, Prasanta Rana, Aditya Jadeja, Chetan Sakariya, Hetvik Kotak, Pranav Karia, Yuvraj Chudasama, Parth Bhut, Tarang Gohel, Jay Gohil, Ansh Gosai, Parswaraj Rana, Hiten Kanbi.

Match starts at 1.30 pm

(With PTI Inputs)