Sanju Samson is slated to captain Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26, which begins on November 26. The ace wicketkeeper-batsman, who recently switched from Rajasthan Royals (RR) to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will now captain his state team in the domestic T20 league.
His elder brother, Saly Samson, who previously played alongside Sanju in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL), has also joined the squad. Saly also led the Kochi Blue Tigers to win in KCL Season 2 earlier this year. The brothers will now play for Kerala in the main domestic T20 competition, SMAT.
Along with the Sanju Samson brothers, young hitter Ahammed Imran has been selected vice-captain after making an impression in the KCL with Thrissur Titans.
Vignesh Puthur, a former Mumbai Indians (MI) player, and Vishnu Vinod are also on the roster, while Salman Nizar, who has been listed, is awaiting fitness clearance. Akhil Scaria, the highest wicket-taker in the previous two KCL seasons, is also on the Kerala team. Meanwhile, experienced campaigner Sachin Baby has been overlooked.
Kerala is in Group A, with Chandigarh, Odisha, Vidarbha, Railways, Andhra Pradesh, and Mumbai. They will begin their campaign against Odisha on November 26, with all group-stage matches held in Lucknow. Some players will fly to Lucknow on November 23, while others will join from Indore, where Kerala’s most recent Ranji match was against Madhya Pradesh.
Kerala, the previous season’s runners-up, has made a dismal start to the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, sitting second-bottom in their group with only 8 points from five matches. As they prepare for the SMAT 2025, the squad hopes to turn things around and make a significant impact during the white-ball phase of the Indian domestic season.
Kerala squad for SMAT 2025
Sanju Samson (C & WK), Rohan Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Ahammed Imran (VC), Vishnu Vinod (WK), Krishna Devan, Abdul Bazith, Saly Samson, Salman Nizar, Krishna Prasad, Sibin P Gireesh, Ankit Sharma, Akhil Scaria, Biju Narayanan, Asif KM, MD Nidheesh, Vignesh Puthur, Sharafuddeen NM
India
