Kerala vs Services Match Prediction
Kerala will take on Services in their fifth match of Elite Group C at St Xavier's College Ground in Thiruvananthapuram from January 10. The match will kick start at 9:30 AM IST.
In the tournament so far, Kerala have contested four games and have emerged victorious in two of them. They defeated Jharkhand by 85 runs before muscling Chhattisgarh by seven wickets. Apart from a couple of victories, Kerala have a draw and a loss in their kitty. On the other hand, Services beat Puducherry in their most recent match to register their first win of the season. Prior to the game against Puducherry, Services had suffered back-to-back losses at the hands of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. In their tournament opener, Services played a draw with Karnataka.
In the previous edition, Kerala won two of their three Elite Group A matches but failed to qualify for the knockout rounds. Similarly, Services failed to qualify for the next round as the side finished third in the Elite Group E points table with a solitary win in three games.
Kerala vs Services Match Chance of Winning
With experienced campaigners in the form of Sachin Baby and Jalaj Saxena along with a good mix of upbeat youngsters in the side, Kerala have a far better chance of winning this battle. With the bat, Rohan Prem has been splendid so far and so has been young Rohan Kunnummal. Jalaj Saxena, the leading wicket-taker of the season, will be eager to get on the park and rip apart the Services batting lineup.
As for Services, the onus to tackle Jalaj Saxena and score big runs will be on Gahlaut Rahul Singh and captain Rajat Paliwal. The Services’ skipper has already struck a couple of hundreds in the competition and will be looking to get to his third against Kerala. With the ball, Pulkit Narang and Diwesh Pathania will be the keys to Services’ success.
With a more balanced side, Kerala have a high chance of winning their third match of the season.
Our Prediction
Looking at the current form, Kerala have a superior team. Though Services have a winning momentum behind them, Kerala would fancy their chances of winning another game on their home ground to consolidate their position in the eight-team points table. If skipper Sanju Samson, who featured in the recently concluded India vs Sri Lanka T20I series, arrives for this game, Kerala will have a much better chance of winning this encounter. However, Samson was injured while fielding in the first T20I against Sri Lanka and is unlikely to be available for the match.
- Kerala to win - 1.75 (Melbet)
- Services to win - 1.95 (Melbet)
Kerala vs Services Tournament Prediction & Betting Tips 2022
Kerala won two of their three matches last season but failed to qualify for the quarter-finals. The side finished second in the four-team Elite Group A points table to bow out of the competition. Interestingly, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh had equal points but the latter pipped the former on the basis of their superior quotient value. While Kerala’s runs per wicket ratio was 1.648, Madhya Pradesh had a quotient of 2.147.
Meanwhile, Services were a part of Elite Group E. The team registered a win, a loss, and a draw in its three matches to end in the third position. Subsequently, the side failed to qualify for the next round.
This season, Kerala and Services are joined by Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Goa, Jharkhand, and Puducherry in the Elite Group C. As per norms, the top two teams from the group will qualify for the quarter-finals. Services are bound to have a tough way ahead as they are ranked seventh in the points table. Kerala, who are at number three at the moment, have a fair chance to qualify for the next round.
Kerala vs Services Match Toss Prediction
St Xavier's College Ground in Thiruvananthapuram has hosted a couple of matches in this season of the Ranji Trophy. On both occasions, the team bowling first went on to win the game by seven wickets. During their clash against Chhattisgarh, Kerala won the toss and opted to bowl first. However, the side elected to bat first against Goa on the same ground and ended up on the losing side. Clearly, the team fielding first has an edge over its opposition at this venue so the side that wins the toss on the 10th of January will be tempted to bowl first.
Weather Report
The game hours are expected to have clear skies with the temperature hovering around 24–31 degrees Celsius. Humidity will be around 55 percent during the four days.
Kerala Player List
Kerala Squad
Sanju Samson (c), Sijomon J (vc), Rohan Kunnummal, Krishna Prasad, Vathsal Govind, Rohan Prem, Sachin Baby, Shoun Roger, Akshay Chandran, Jalaj Saxena, Basil Thampi, Nidheesh M D, Fanoos F, Basil N P, Vaisakh Chandran, Sachin S, Rahul P
Kerala Predicted XI
|
Ponnan Rahul |
Batsman and Wicket-keeper |
|
Rohan Kunnummal |
Batsman |
|
Rohan Prem |
Batsman |
|
Sachin Baby |
Batsman |
|
Shoun Roger |
Batsman |
|
Akshay Chandran |
All-rounder |
|
Sijomon Joseph (c) |
Batsman |
|
Jalaj Saxena |
All-rounder |
|
Basil Thampi |
Bowler |
|
Nedumankuzhy Basil |
Bowler |
|
Vaisakh Chandran |
Bowler |
Kerala Team Form
Even though Kerala suffered a seven-wicket loss against Goa, they are still a team that is tough to beat. The side began its campaign with an 85-run win over Jharkhand before playing a draw against Rajasthan. In their third match, Kerala beat Chhattisgarh by seven wickets to bag their second win of the tournament. They have in-form batsmen in the likes of skipper Rajat Paliwal and Gahlaut Rahul Singh along with experienced bowlers like Jalaj Saxena and Basil Thampi.
Services Player List
Services Squad
Sufiyan Alam, Ravi Chauhan, Gahlaut Gahlaut Rahul Singh, Anshul Gupta, Rajat Paliwal(c), Devender Lohchab(w), Lovekesh Bansal(w), Pulkit Narang, Mohit Rathee, Poonam Poonia, Diwesh Pathania, Arpit Guleria, Shubham Rohilla, Nishan Singh
Services Predicted XI
|
Sufiyan Alam |
Batsman |
|
Ravi Chauhan |
Batsman |
|
Gahlaut Rahul Singh |
Batsman |
|
Anshul Gupta |
Batsman |
|
Rajat Paliwal (c) |
Batsman |
|
Lovekesh Bansal (w) |
Batsman and Wicket-keeper |
|
Rahul Singh |
All-rounder |
|
Pulkit Narang |
Bowler |
|
Diwesh Pathania |
Bowler |
|
Poonam Poonia |
Bowler |
|
Arpit Guleria |
Bowler |
Services Team Form
Services are riding on confidence after securing their maiden win of the tournament against Puducherry in their last match. Backed by tons from Gahlaut Rahul Singh and skipper Paliwal, Services took a mammoth 250-run lead after bundling Puducherry out for 216 runs in the first innings. For his 170 runs in the match, Gahlaut Rahul Singh won the Player of the Match award.
However, the team was struggling miserably prior to the match. After playing a draw with Karnataka, Services were handed 10 and nine-wicket losses by Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand respectively.
Kerala vs Services Betting Odds
Kerala to win
Understandably, Kerala have a more balanced team and are likely to beat Services in this encounter to gain crucial points in the points table. Batters Rohan Prem and Sachin Baby are in great touch and bowler Jalaj Saxena is on song as well. As for Services, Gahlaut Rahul Singh smashed a hundred in the last match against Puducherry to find himself back among the run-getters. The impetus from skipper Rajat Paliwal and right-arm pacer Diwesh Pathania will be the key to Services’ success against a strong team like Kerala.
Kerala vs Services Top Team Batsmen
Rohan Prem to be Kerala’s top batsman
36-year-old Rohan Prem is Kerala’s highest run scorer of the edition with 430 runs in seven innings. The southpaw has an average of 61.42 and has already struck four fifties along with a hundred. In total, Prem has represented Kerala in 94 first-class matches and has piled up 5251 runs at an average of 39.78. Also, he has as many as 13 hundreds and 25 fifties to his name.
Rajat Paliwal to be Services’ top batsman
Sonepat-born Rajat Paliwal has accumulated 380 runs at an average of 63.33 in the tournament. The right-handed batter has displayed phenomenal batting in the competition as he has struck two fifties and as many centuries in the six innings he has played. Overall, the Services’ skipper has played 83 first-class matches and has smacked 5552 runs at an average of 45.50. Moreover, he has hit 16 centuries and 22 fifties in his over 11-year-long first-class career.
Kerala vs Services Top Team Bowler
Jalaj Saxena to be Kerala’s top bowler
In mere eight innings, Jalaj Saxena has bagged 32 wickets to emerge as the leading wicket-taker of the competition. The right-arm spinner has an average of 18.15 this season. The experienced campaigner made his first-class debut in 2005 and since then he has played 130 matches and has grabbed 392 scalps at an average of 26.19.
Diwesh Pathania to be Services’ top bowler
Right-arm pacer Diwesh Pathania has picked up 15 wickets in four games and has been an important bowler for his team this season. Also, the 33-year-old registered a five-fer against Karnataka in Services’ tournament opener in Bengaluru. Overall, Pathania has played 49 red-ball matches and has bagged 204 scalps at an average of 23.88.