![Sanju Samson to lead Kerala in SMAT 2026 [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1794328157170_Sanju_Samson.jpg?type=hq)
Sanju Samson to lead Kerala in SMAT 2026 [Source: AFP]
The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has named a strong 18-player Kerala squad for the upcoming 2026 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The association confirmed the same just four days prior to Kerala’s opening match of the tournament.
As per the schedule, Kerala will take on Madhya Pradesh in their opening Elite Group C game on Saturday, November 14 in New Chandigarh later this weekend.
Sanju Samson to continue as Kerala captain despite disappointing 2025 season
Sanju Samson retained his captaincy role for the Kerala T20 team. Mere months after orchestrating India’s historic 2026 T20 World Cup win, the KCA gave another opportunity to the senior wicketkeeper-batter to lead the side, despite the team’s underwhelming performance in the 2025 SMAT season last year.
Several other domestic stars like Vishnu Vinod, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Vignesh Puthur also found a place in the 18-player Kerala group. Here is a look at the complete Kerala squad for the upcoming SMAT 2026 season in India.
Kerala squad for SMAT 2026: Sanju Samson (c), Rohan S Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Ahammed Imran, Govind Dev D Pai, Krishna Devan R J, Vishnu Vinod, Salman Nizar, Akhil Scaria, Nikhil M, Vignesh Puthur, Biju Narayanan N, Karthik B Nair, Vaisakh Chandran, Asif K M, Nidheesh M D, Sharafuddeen NM and Jalaj Saxena.
Under the leadership of Sanju Samson, Kerala registered just three wins and sustained three defeats from six matches. While he missed Kerala’s final match of the tournament, the team subsequently finished fourth on the Elite Group A points table to bow out of the competition.
Why was Sanju Samson retained as Kerala’s SMAT captain?
Sanju Samson has led the Kerala cricket team in 38 T20 matches since the year 2018, yielding 22 wins at an expense of 16 defeats with a win percentage of 57.89. Under his leadership, the team failed to go beyond the opening round of the SMAT 2025 season last year.
Despite his underwhelming record as Kerala’s domestic T20 captain as well as Rajasthan Royals captain in the IPL, he remains one of the most experienced members in the current Kerala set-up.
Moreover, his recent success in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he emerged as India's Player of the Tournament, could have further strengthened his standing within the Kerala Cricket Association and reinforced the management's faith in his leadership abilities.
