Batting key as Baroda-TN clash in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 final

Ahmedabad, Jan 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Baroda and Tamil Nadu will clash in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament at the Motera here on Sunday.

Both teams have strong batting line-ups.

While Tamil Nadu's N Jagadeesan tops the runs chart this season with 350 runs at an average of 87.5, Baroda captain Kedar Devdhar is third in the list, just 17 behind with 333 runs at an average of 83.25.

Opener C Hari Nishanth has scored 211 for Tamil Nadu although his form in the last few games has been a concern.

TN has some good batsmen in the middle with Baba Aparajith, Arun Karthik and skipper Dinesh Karthik. Shahrukh Khan provides power-hitting towards the end.

For Baroda, the key batsman apart from Devdhar would be Vishnu Solanki who has the ability to hit big. He has 218 runs and averages 54.5. While Devdhar provides a sedate start, the onus will be on Solanki and Kartik Kakade to provide the impetus in the latter half of the innings.

Leg-spinner M Ashwin is TN's leading wicket-taker with 10 scalps while medium-pacer M Mohammed has nine.

Pace bowler Sonu Yadav and left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore have eight wickets each.

Baroda, meanwhile will rely on their highest wickettaker, left-arm seamer Lukman Meriwala who has 14 wickets. He needs just three more to become the top wicket-taker in the tournament. Meriwala's opening partner right-arm pacer Atit Sheth has 10 wickets while left-arm spinner Ninad Rathva has nine wickets.

The two teams have won the title previously -- Tamil Nadu in 2006-07 and Baroda in 2011-12 and 2013-14.

Tamil Nadu were last year's finalists, losing to Karnataka in the final.

Sunday's final will begin at 7 pm.

Source: IANS