Chambal Ghariyals vs Jabalpur Royal Lions, MPL 2026 Semi-final 2 Match Preview

The Chambal Ghariyals will take on the Jabalpur Royal Lions in Semi-final 2 of the Madhya Pradesh Premier League (MPL) 2026 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Thursday, June 25. With a place in the grand final at stake, both sides will be eager to produce their best cricket in what promises to be an intense knockout encounter.

Chambal enter the contest as overwhelming favourites after dominating the league stage with an unbeaten run. Led by experienced India pacer Avesh Khan, the Ghariyals have excelled in all departments, boasting one of the strongest bowling attacks in the competition. Meanwhile, the Jabalpur Royal Lions have relied heavily on their fighting spirit and balanced squad under Rahul Batham as they aim to upset the tournament front-runners.

Match Details

Squads

Chambal Ghariyals

Ankush Singh, Harsh Dixit, Shubham Sharma (c), Rohit Kumar Gupta, Tripuresh Singh, Aman Bhadoriya, Gautam Raghuvanshi, Apurve Dwivedi (wk), Mayur Singh Patel, Sandeep Singh, Akshay Singh, Avesh Khan, Divyanshu Yadav, Karan Tiwari, Madhur Seth, Piyush Patel and Yash Kumar Lodhi.

Key Players: Chambal Ghariyals are spearheaded by India pacer Avesh Khan, who has impressed in his comeback campaign after knee surgery while captaining the side and remaining among the leading wicket-takers. He has been ably supported by Purple Cap contender Tripuresh Singh, while wicketkeeper-batter Apurve Dwivedi has provided stability and finishing firepower in the middle order.

Jabalpur Royal Lions

Aryan Tiwari, Ajay Rohera (wk), Prince Wadhwani, Vedant Awasthi, Ritwik Diwan, Nayanraj Mewada, Ayaam Sardaana, Rahul Batham (c), Ritik Tada, Sanjog Nijjar, Pankaj Patel, Puneet Datey, Mihir Hirwani, Abhishek Bhandari, Arpit Gaud, Akarsh Singh, Akshay Sharma and Akshat Dwivedi.

Key Players: Jabalpur Royal Lions will rely heavily on experienced wicketkeeper-batter Ajay Rohera to anchor the innings and accelerate through the middle overs. Captain Rahul Batham's all-round abilities provide balance to the side, making him a vital asset in a high-pressure knockout encounter, while crafty spinner Mihir Hirwani could play a decisive role on the Indore surface with his wicket-taking variations.

Pitch Report: Holkar Stadium

Holkar Stadium has remained one of the most batting-friendly venues throughout MPL 2026. The surface generally offers true bounce and excellent carry, allowing batters to trust the pace of the wicket and play their shots freely.

Pacers often enjoy some swing with the new ball under lights, especially during the first three overs. However, once batters settle in, the conditions become ideal for strokeplay. The short square boundaries and lightning-fast outfield have regularly resulted in totals crossing the 180-run mark this season.

Spinners may come into play during the middle overs if they vary their pace effectively, but they cannot afford to miss their lengths.

A first-innings score between 180 and 190 could prove highly competitive in this knockout fixture.

Weather Forecast

No rain interruptions are expected, ensuring a full 20-over contest.

Toss Prediction

Teams have generally preferred chasing at Holkar Stadium under lights due to better visibility and the possibility of dew assisting batters later in the evening.

Match Winner Prediction