Sanju Samson named Kerala captain in Mushtaq Ali T20; also released the Mumbai Indians spinner in

The buzz of Sanju Samson’s blockbuster IPL swap with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had barely settled. But now he is heading to another T20 tournament. The Kerala Cricket Association (KSA) has confirmed that the Indian wicketkeeper will captain the state in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-2026, which begins on November 26 in Lucknow.

Kerala leaves for the tournament on November 22. Under Samson, Kerala named a great T20 team, 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 Indian 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 SMAT group stages will conclude on December 8.

SMAT: Mumbai Indians released spinner included

What makes the team announcement more interesting is the support around Samson. Kerala have named 19-year-old Ahammed Imran as vice-captain despite having senior players like Mohammed Azharuddeen and Rohan Kunnummal in the squad. Former captain Sachin Baby, who just won a hundred Ranji trophies in Madhya Pradesh, has been completely left out. Baby was also recently released by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Salman Nizar, touted as a superb T20 talent, is returning from injury, while Saly Samson, Sanju’s elder brother, is also finding a place after guiding the Kochi Blue Tigers to a Kerala Cricket League (KCL) title.

Among the new faces, the biggest talking point is left wrister Vignesh Puthur. Just a few days ago, Mumbai Indians (MI) released him ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction even as the franchise said it would continue to support his rehabilitation. Puthur was injured in April and has only played two matches since, but MI still value him enough to keep him on 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 showed great promise in IPL 2025 when he took three wickets on debut against CSK and finished with six strikes in five matches. If he is fully recovered, Kerala will suddenly have a genuine wicket-taking option to partner 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 MD, Asif KM, Akhil Scaria, Biju Narayanan N, Ankit Sharma, Krishna Devan RJ, Abdul Bazith PA, Sharafuddeen NM, Sibin P Gireesh, Krishna Prasad, Saly V Samson, Vignesh Puthur, Salman Nizar