Owing to the IPL auctions that are likely to happen in February, BCCI has decided to host the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January. SMA Trophy is India’s premier domestic T20 tournament. This competition is considered a good platform for domestic cricketers to earn an IPL contract.
Apart from the newbies, SMAT is also necessary for those who have been underwhelming in recent editions of IPL. With a competent performance in this competition, players might place themselves in a positive space ahead of the auctions.
In this article, we will take a look at five cricketers who must do very well in SMAT. Otherwise, they might risk not playing the upcoming edition of IPL as franchises could choose to ignore them.
1. Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav will want to forget IPL 2020 at the earliest. Not only was he disappointing, but the experienced player also irked the fans and drew massive criticism for his displays. He is also aging, and if not for a good show in the upcoming SMAT, Kedar could as well not earn a contract for next season. This is assuming that CSK would release him before the auctions. Not only will Kedar have to do well with the bat, but the Pune-born man must also do magic with the ball or with the gloves. Only if he is extra-ordinary will teams consider him for IPL 2021.
2. Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa must be amongst the top-scorers at SMAT if he wants to play IPL in 2021. In 2020, Robin was under par with his performances. Although he was decent in the second half, the 2007 T20 World Cup winner still seems to lack many qualities to be a T20 opener in this era. The Karnataka-born cricketer must be especially good with his big-hitting. This aspect has been poor in the last two seasons, and if he does not improve it in SMAT, he might as well forget playing in IPL 2021.
3. Karun Nair
Karun Nair was once considered a promising prospect for the Indian Team. However, circumstances have landed Karun in a very uncomfortable situation. His performances have also been very demotivating in recent years. He should have a season like his breakthrough campaign if he wants to play IPL next season. Although he is still young, teams might yet neglect him as Karun has played disappointing cricket in the past few seasons. Only a good SMAT can help him earn a contract for IPL 2021.
4. Piyush Chawla
Now, who would want to have a player who is one-dimensional and extremely unfit in the squad? CSK bore the consequences of hiring the services of Piyush for IPL 2020. If the leggie does not make changes to his fitness and his game, he might not play in the next IPL. The fact that he has fewer variations and tricks compared to the contemporary players could work against him. Therefore, a good SMAT show is the only way in which Piyush Chawla could play IPL cricket in 2021.
5. Siddarth Kaul
It is unfortunate that Siddarth Kaul has lost his way in IPL. Once a spearhead, Kaul’s unconvincing performances have made his game-time limited at SRH. In the chances he got too, the Punjab pacer was disappointing. With a plethora of pacers available across the nation, the competition to earn an IPL contract will be cut-throat. Consequently, Kaul must and should have a good campaign if he must want to play IPL next season. The player must also improve his bowling at the start and at the end to advance his prospects.
