Karnataka has recruited a solid team for the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the participation of experienced batters Devdutt Padikkal and Karun Nair is the primary draw. The team is a picture of blended old and new, which reflects Karnataka’s serious and competitive nature in the domestic T20 market.
As reported by Sportstar, other notable players including Mayank Agarwal and a bunch of promising youngsters who are expected to leave a mark. The bat of Agarwal, together with the aggressive style of Padikkal and the experience of Nair, gives Karnataka a very good top order.
Karnataka squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Mayank Agarwal (c), Macneil Hadley Noronha, Shrijith KL (wk), Karun Nair, Smaran R, Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal, Shikhar Shetty, Vyshak Vijayakumar, Vidwath Kaverappa, Vidyadhar Patil, Shreevathsa R Acharya, Shubhang Hegde, Pravin Dubey, Sharath BR (wk), Devdutt Padikkal.
There are a few reasons why this squad is remarkable:
Experienced Players: Padikkal and Nair will not only bring strength but also years of the experience of first-class and List A matches. Their presence will be crucial in high-pressure T20 games.
Evenly Distributed Batting: Karnataka has three senior top-order batsmen in Mayank Agarwal, who can either make an innings deep or quicken the pace as required.
Youth Support: The younger players of Karnataka will have a strong platform built by the veteran batters to show their talent in a big domestic T20 tournament.
For Karnataka, the SMAT will be a chance to fine-tune their T20 combinations, test leadership options, and potentially build a core team that can compete both in domestic tournaments and beyond.
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Karnataka’s Schedule for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
| Date | Against |
| November 26 | Uttarakhand |
| November 28 | Jharkhand |
| November 30 | Rajasthan |
| December 2 | Tamil Nadu |
| December 4 | Delhi |
| December 6 | Saurashtra |
| December 8 | Tripura |
Written by:- Manjunath S