Sanju Samson to lead as Kerala name SMAT 2026/27 squad

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has handed over the leadership responsibilities to the Indian wicket-keeper, Sanju Samson, for the upcoming 2026 season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), which begins on November 24, 2026. The Indian opener will captain the 18-member squad, which will start its campaign against Madhya Pradesh.   

Samson takes the charge to be in shape ahead of the upcoming home T20I series against Sri Lanka in December. He gets a month’s break after the end of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which the blue brigade went on to win by a margin of 3-2.  

Why is Sanju Samson leading Kerala in SMAT 2026/27? What we know

Samson led Kerala to fourth place in Elite Group A of the event last year, as they missed out on the Super League. The right-handed batter thumped 233 runs in six innings at a fine strike rate of 137.86, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer of the team behind Rohan Kunnummal.

Kerala are placed in Group C of the 2026/27 edition along with MP, Assam, Andhra, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tripura, and Puducherry. Their red-ball captain, Vishnu Vinod, is also named in their squad and could take over the leadership if Samson doesn’t play.

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Vignesh Puhur, who represented the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Mumbai Indians, has been included in the squad along with KM Asif, who was part of the title-winning campaigns of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the 2018 and 2021 seasons.

Kerala’s squad for the SMAT 2026/27-

Sanju V Samson (C) (WK), Rohan S Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen (WK), Ahammed Imran, Govind Dev D Pai, Krishna Devan R J, Vishnu Vinod (WK), Salman Nizar, Akhil Scaria, Nikhil M, Vignesh Puthur, Biju Narayanan N, Karthik B Nair, Vaisakh Chandran, Asif K M, Nidheesh M D, Sharafuddeen NM, Jalaj Saxena

How Sanju Samson has performed recently: Form, key numbers and what to expect

Samson’s overall series against the Blackcaps wasn’t a great one. He started the series with a fine knock of 67 runs during the opening clash at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch as he won the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

However, in the last four games, the right-handed batter managed only 40 runs at an average of 10, with the best score of 18 at the Hnry Stadium in Wellington, when he was dropped to the number three position, with Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi being given the chance to open the batting.

See Also: Watch: Abhishek Sharma credits Sanju Samson for India’s fearless approach in 3rd T20I vs New Zealand

The India-star will need to get his form back in the shortest format, and this SMAT season could be a golden chance for him. If he doesn’t do well in Sri Lanka, the management may move on from him, with Sooryavanshi knocking at the door all the time.