Baroda is a strong contender for the Trophy. With the Pathans, Munaf and Rayudu, as well as Kedar Devdhar and Bharghav Bhatt, they've got a strong combination that can take them to the finals. They still have to compete with Mumbai, who put up strong teams without their India stars, though now Rahane being on national duty puts them back a little. Karnataka will also stand a chance, with Vinay Kumar and Aravind likely to last the entire season, with Uthappa and Pandey.
Elsewhere, Goa took a bold step in dropping Swapnil Asnodkar, their captain this season, for two matches, because he aborted the 130-run chase needed in 20 overs. Goa took the appropriate step of opening with a T20-ready batsman instead of their regular opener, following up at three with a hard hitter. Yet, six overs out and 18 scored, Asnodkar called off the chase.
It's good that Goa have displayed intent in winning a game, and other associations and IPL franchises (and also the national team) should take note. While losing a player like him (Goa is very short of cricketing talent) will impact the side adversely (lose both matches?), this is not a team that wins much, so they have virtually nothing to lose. Moreover, despite the lower standard of cricket in the Plate league, the teams compete fiercely, which is missing in the Elite league, where teams just try to rake up the runs and wear out the opposition batting...a little sooner.