The buzz of Sanju Samson’s blockbuster IPL trade to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) barely had settled. But now, he is heading to another T20 tournament. The Kerala Cricket Association (KSA) has confirmed that the India wicketkeeper will captain the state side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025–26, beginning November 26 in Lucknow.
Kerala leave for the tournament on November 22. Under Samson, Kerala have named a great T20 side, with their first match being against Odisha. With the T20 World Cup 2026 less than 80 days away, Samson is doing his best to prepare for the big tournament. Just like his India captain Suryakumar Yadav, Samson will also play the group stage before the India vs South Africa T20I series kicks off on December 9. Meanwhile, the group stages of SMAT end on December 8.
SMAT: Mumbai Indians released spinner included
What makes the squad announcement more interesting is the support around Samson. Kerala have named 19-year-old Ahammed Imran as vice-captain, despite senior players like Mohammed Azharuddeen and Rohan Kunnummal being part of the group. Former captain Sachin Baby, who just hit a Ranji Trophy hundred in Madhya Pradesh, has been left out altogether. Baby was recently released by the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) as well.
Salman Nizar, touted as a superb T20 talent, returns from injury, while Saly Samson, Sanju’s elder brother, also finds a place after guiding Kochi Blue Tigers to a Kerala Cricket League (KCL) title.
Among the new faces, the biggest talking point is left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur. Just days ago, Mumbai Indians (MI) released him ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, even though the franchise stated they would continue to support his rehab. Puthur injured himself in April and has played only two matches since, but MI still rate him highly enough to keep him around their medical team.
His selection for Kerala suggests he is close to full fitness again. But if that was the case, why did MI release him in the first place? Puthur flashed some great promise during IPL 2025 when he took three wickets on debut against CSK and finished with six strikes in five games. If he is fully recovered, Kerala suddenly have a genuine wicket-taking option to pair with their senior core.
Kerala squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025
Sanju V Samson (C), Rohan S Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen M, Ahammed Imran (VC), Vishnu Vinod, Nidheesh M D, Asif KM, Akhil Scaria, Biju Narayanan N, Ankit Sharma, Krishna Devan R J, Abdul Bazith PA, Sharafuddeen NM, Sibin P Gireesh, Krishna Prasad, Saly V Samson, Vignesh Puthur, Salman Nizar
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