Sanju Samson to Captain Keralam in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27

Keralam's Squad Announcement for SMAT

Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam (India) - Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has been appointed as the captain of Keralam for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), which kicks off on November 14, as reported by a sports news outlet.

Keralam will commence their tournament journey against Madhya Pradesh at PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on the opening day.

Joining Samson in the 18-member squad is Vishnu Vinod, who leads the red-ball team, along with seasoned domestic player Jalaj Saxena.

The squad also features promising talents from the Kerala Cricket League (KCL), including top-order batsman Ahammed Imran and all-rounder Govind Dev. The bowling lineup is strengthened by right-arm pacer KM Asif and left-arm spinner Vignesh Puthur.

Keralam finds itself in Group C, competing against teams such as Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry, and Tripura. Last season, under Samson's leadership, the team finished fourth in their group and did not advance to the knockout stages.

Despite a recent dip in form during the New Zealand series, where he scored 14, 18, 4, and 4 after an impressive 67 in the first T20I, Samson has had a successful run overall. He was named 'Player of the Tournament' during India's T20 World Cup victory, amassing 319 runs, including three consecutive fifties from the Super Eights to the finals.

In 30 T20Is this year, he has accumulated 810 runs at an average of 27.93 and a strike rate of 173.44, featuring eight fifties and a top score of 97*. Including his two centuries in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Samson has scored 1,287 runs in 44 T20 matches this year, averaging 32.17 with a strike rate exceeding 170, which includes two centuries and nine fifties.

Keralam's squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27 includes:

Sanju Samson (captain, wicketkeeper), Rohan Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wicketkeeper), Ahammed Imran, Govind Dev, Krishna Devan, Vishnu Vinod (wicketkeeper), Salman Nizar, Akhil Scaria, Nikhil M, Vignesh Puthur, Biju Narayanan, Karthik B Nair, Vaisakh Chandran, KM Asif, Nidheesh MD, Sharafuddeen NM, Jalaj Saxena.