SMAT offers uncapped players final chance to impress IPL scouts

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy begins on Saturday, offering uncapped players a final opportunity to impress IPL franchises ahead of the December 16 mini-auction. Established names, including Mohammed Shami, Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw, will also seek strong performances

New Delhi: Young talents will look to catch the attention of scouts, while established players will hope to reclaim lost ground when the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), the country’s premier domestic T20 competition, gets underway across the country on Saturday.

The tournament will conclude just 10 days before the IPL mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Goa on December 16, giving franchises an opportunity to track emerging talent and strengthen their squads.

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For some uncapped Indian players, SMAT will be the final opportunity to impress franchise scouts and secure an IPL contract.

Overlooked in 2025, Prithvi Shaw, once tipped for greatness, failed to get a game last season despite being signed by Delhi Capitals. He will be keen to put up a strong performance in SMAT and reclaim his place among the top players.

Veterans Deepak Chahar and Manish Pandey, along with young players Shikhar Mohan, Prashant Veer, Shashank Singh and Digvesh Rathi, will also look to turn things around with impressive performances.

Uttar Pradesh left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Prashant Veer, who was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 14.2 crore at the last auction, was among the most expensive uncapped players. However, he failed to make a significant impact in the limited opportunities that came his way.

Indian cricket’s ‘Boss Baby’, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, will captain Bihar in their first two matches at the age of just 15. He will look to continue his explosive form for his state team in the tournament.

Shami, SKY eye strong show in bid for limited-overs return

Still harbouring hopes of a return to the national team, Mohammed Shami, former India captain and 2026 T20 World Cup winner Suryakumar Yadav, and senior all-rounder Shardul Thakur will look for productive outings in the tournament.

Having announced his retirement from Test cricket last week, Shami will be keen to perform well and remain in the reckoning for the IPL. While an India comeback appears unlikely, the IPL will remain a motivation for the veteran pacer.

Suryakumar, meanwhile, led India to victory in the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, despite a successful two-year stint as captain, he was dropped from the side following a dip in batting form and a poor IPL 2026 campaign.

Once regarded as a 360-degree batter, Suryakumar will be eager to prove a point to the national selectors and his critics.

Yash Dayal, Abhishek Porel look to move past allegations

Both Yash Dayal and Abhishek Porel have had a difficult year.

Dayal missed the entire IPL season last year for Royal Challengers Bengaluru following allegations of sexual assault. He will return to the domestic circuit with Uttar Pradesh and will look to put up a strong bowling performance.

Like Dayal, Porel, who had an impressive SMAT campaign last season, also faced legal trouble after being arrested in connection with an alleged sexual assault case. He will look to strengthen his case for a higher batting position with Delhi Capitals. However, competition is stiff for the Bengal cricketer, with Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul among the contenders for wicketkeeping duties.

Jharkhand are the defending champions, having won their maiden title last year. However, they will be without skipper Ishan Kishan and Kumar Kushagra during the initial stages of the tournament, as both players are with the India and India A teams in New Zealand.

The tournament will feature all 38 Ranji Trophy teams, divided into four Elite groups of eight teams each and one Plate group comprising six sides.