much awaited Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26India’s premier domestic T20 tournament is set to begin and all eyes are on the Kerala team. Led by the dynamic Indian wicketkeeper-batsman sanju samsonThe team has a mix of established IPL stars and promising homegrown talent. With a renewed focus on T20 performance ahead of the IPL 2026 auction and the T20 World Cup, Kerala will be looking to make deep inroads from their base in Lucknow.
Sanju Samson will lead Kerala
Samson’s appointment as captain for the SMAT campaign follows a major career move – his high-profile trade with the five-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK)The tournament provides an important platform for Samson to showcase his leadership and batting skills, After a successful performance with the national team in the recent Asia Cup T20, his form and temperament will be crucial to Kerala’s success in the tournament,
This will be an important preparation phase for Samson, who is actively competing for a place in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. His experience and big-match mentality will be invaluable in mentoring the younger members of the team. The team is being guided by experienced former Indian batsman Amay Khurasia as the head coach.
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Kerala has been placed in Elite Group A
Kerala have been placed in Elite Group A for the league stage and will play all their matches in Lucknow. The group is highly competitive, containing some of the biggest names in Indian domestic cricket. The team will face a tough test from the very beginning, especially against the domestic powers. Mumbai And like consistent performers Vidarbha And andhraThe aim will be to be one of the top two teams in the group to gain direct qualification for the knockout stages, which have been named Super League for this edition,
Kerala team for SMAT 2025-26: Sanju Samson (captain & wk), Rohan S Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddin M (wk), Ahmed Imran (VC), Vishnu Vinod (wk), Nidhish MD, Asif KM, Akhil Scaria, Biju Narayanan N, Ankit Sharma, Krishna Devan RJ, Abdul Bazith PA, Sharafuddin NM,
Sibin P Girish, Krishna Prasad, Sally Samson, Vignesh Puthur, Salman Nizar.
