Jharkhand vs Madhya Pradesh Match Prediction

Madhya Pradesh (W4-L1) sit second in Elite Group A with 16 points. Jharkhand (W3-L2) are third with 12 points. Both teams lost their last match on January 3 - MP to Puducherry, Jharkhand to Kerala.

Team Context and Recent Form

Madhya Pradesh have been the more consistent side. They beat Rajasthan by 99 runs, Tamil Nadu by 2 wickets, Kerala by 47 runs, and Tripura by 4 wickets before their upset loss to Puducherry. Venkatesh Iyer has led from the front with both bat and ball - his 4/44 against Tripura was match-winning.

Jharkhand have the firepower but lack bowling discipline. They posted 412/9 against Karnataka and still lost - Karnataka chased 413 with 15 balls to spare. Against Kerala, they made 311/7 but conceded 313/2 in 42.3 overs. When your attack leaks runs at this rate, batting first becomes your only path to victory.

Key Players to Watch

Our Prediction

Madhya Pradesh have the bowling depth Jharkhand lack. Kumar Kartikeya with 19 wickets at 3.93 economy gives MP control in the middle overs. Jharkhand's reliance on Ishan Kishan is a risk - when he fell for 21 against Kerala, the chase collapsed. MP's batting is more distributed across Yash Dubey, Shubham Sharma, and Venkatesh Iyer.

Betting Value

The market has Jharkhand at 1.50 (66.7% implied) - a significant overreaction to Ishan Kishan's star power and T20 World Cup selection. MP at 2.40 (41.7% implied) against our 55% probability gives +13.3% edge. Jharkhand have conceded 400+ and 300+ in their two losses. MP's bowling will not leak runs at that rate. Back Madhya Pradesh @ 2.40.