It is time for the clash of the two successful teams of the season as Jharkhand take on Haryana in the finals of the 2025 season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Thursday evening at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune at 4:30 PM IST. Ahead of this exciting contest check what to expect from our Haryana vs Jharkhand final preview, probable playing xi, pitch report.
Jharkhand vs Haryana Preview
Jharkhand enters this contest following a narrow nine-run loss against Andhra in a high-scoring run chase. However, thanks to their performances in the first two matches of the Super League against Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, which helped them top the group, they have advanced to the finals.
Ishan Kishan has been the best batter for Jharkhand, scoring 416 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 195.31, making him the second-highest run-scorer this season. Kumar Kushagra has also been stellar, racking up 341 runs in nine matches with an average of 56.83.
All-rounder Anukul Roy has been in excellent form with both bat and ball this season, scoring 263 runs and picking up 16 wickets. His presence will be key in the final, alongside left-arm pacer Sushant Mishra, who has taken 19 wickets at an average of 18.47, although his economy rate is on the higher side at 9.16.
Haryana pulled off an incredible win in their final league match against Hyderabad in a tight Group A Super League contest. They scored 246 runs batting first and then bowled out Hyderabad for 122 runs, winning the match by 124 runs. This huge win provided a necessary net run rate boost in a scenario where all teams were tied on eight points, helping them advance to the finals.
Ankit Kumar has been the star with the bat for Haryana this season, scoring 448 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 172.97, while Arsh Ranga (267 runs), Nishanth Sandhu (272 runs), and Yashvardhan Dalal (345 runs) have all contributed collectively.
In the bowling department, Anshul Kamboj has picked up 20 wickets in 10 matches and has led from the front with the ball in hand, while Amit Rana (eight wickets) and Sumit Kumar (six wickets) have also chipped in. For Haryana to win the title, success will likely come down to how well their bowlers perform.
Jharkhand vs Haryana Probable Playing XI
Jharkhand Probable XI: Ishan Kishan (c) (wk), Virat Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Robin Minz, Anukul Roy, Pankaj Kumar, Rajandeep Singh, Bal Krishna, Vikash Singh, Sushant Mishra, Saurabh Shekhar.
Haryana Probable XI: Arsh Ranga,, Ankit Kumar (c), Nishant Sindhu, Yashvardhan Dalal (wk), Parth Vats, Ashish Siwach, Sumit Kumar, Samant Jakhar, Anshul Kamboj, Amit Rana, Ishant Bhardwaj
HAR vs JHA Pitch Report - MCA Stadium, Pune
The pitch at MCA Stadium in Pune has been a high scoring venue in the Super League of SMAT 2025, where the average 1st innings score is 185 runs. Teams bowling has the upperhand with four wins in six matches.
In the only match Jharkhand played at this venue this season they won by one run against Madhya Pradesh defending 181 runs.
While Haryana have been the most disciplined team with the ball conceding under 135 runs in both the matches and also scored over 240 with the bat in the last match. Expect an even contest where a score of around 180-190 could be par in this fixture.
Where to Watch SMAT 2025 Final?
You can watch the Jharkhand vs Haryana SMAT 2025 final on Jio Hotstar network in India and will be telecasted on the Star Sports Network.
