India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson will captain Keralam in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), which gets underway on November 14.

Keralam will begin their campaign against Madhya Pradesh at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on November 14. Samson will lead an 18-member squad that also features several familiar faces from domestic cricket.

Vishnu Vinod, who captains Keralam in red-ball cricket, has also been included in the squad. Experienced campaigner Jalaj Saxena is another notable name in the team.

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Kerala Cricket League Performers Get Rewarded

A few players who impressed in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) have also earned places in the squad.

Top-order batter Ahammed Imran and batting all-rounder Govind Dev have been rewarded for their performances. Right-arm pacer KM Asif and left-arm spinner Vignesh Puthur will add further options to the bowling attack.

Keralam have been placed in Group C alongside Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Tripura.

The team had a disappointing campaign last season under Samson, finishing fourth in their group and missing out on a place in the knockout stage. They will be hoping for a better run this time around.

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Sanju Samson’s Recent Form In T20 Cricket

Samson has had a mixed run in the ongoing series in New Zealand. After making a quickfire 67 in the first T20I, he has managed scores of 14, 18, 4 and 4 in his subsequent outings.

However, his overall record in T20 cricket this year has been impressive. Samson played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph, earning the Player of the Tournament award after scoring 319 runs. He also registered three consecutive half-centuries from the Super Eights to the final.

In 30 T20Is this year, the wicketkeeper-batter has scored 810 runs at an average of 27.93 and a strike rate of 173.44. His tally includes eight half-centuries, with his highest score being an unbeaten 97.

His numbers look even better when his IPL performances are included. Samson, who has scored two centuries for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, has scored 1,287 runs in 44 T20 matches across all competitions this year.

He has scored these runs at an average of 32.17 and a strike rate of over 170, with two centuries and nine half-centuries to his name.

Samson will now look to carry his strong overall T20 record into the domestic season and help Keralam make a deeper run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Keralam squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27

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