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Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021: 5 Teams That Can Win The Competition

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Karnataka Cricket Team
Photo: KL Rahul/Instagram

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will kickstart the domestic cricket season in India. However, it is not clear if the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy would happen this season. SMAT is being conducted so that the players would get an opportunity to audition before the IPL 2021 Auctions. SMAT has been a competitive tournament in India’s domestic season. With the quality of T20 cricket on the rise in the country, SMAT has been witness to many brilliant games in the past.

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Karnataka would be the defending champions for the tournament that will start on January 10th, 2021. The final will take place on January 31st, and 38 teams will take part in the competition. SMAT 2021 will happen across limited venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amongst the 38 squads, we have given our verdict on five teams that could lift the trophy. So, without wasting much time, here are five squads that can win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021.

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5. Delhi

Delhi has been an underwhelming performer in domestic tournaments in recent years. However, we feel that things could change for them this season. While Shikhar Dhawan would captain the squad, there are reports that Ishant Sharma would also be available for Delhi. Along with the veterans, Team Delhi would also have the services of Nitish Rana and Kulwant Khejroliya, both of whom can be real assets in this format. There are also a few youngsters coming up who are capable of surprising the fans with their displays.

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Players To Watch Out For: Shikhar Dhawan, Nitish Rana and Kulwant Khejroliya.

4. Punjab

Punjab has a young team that has done well in recent years. If they can remain consistent and can believe in their skills, SMAT 2021 can be theirs. While Mandeep Singh will be at the helm of the squad, there is experience in the form of Sandeep Sharma and Gurkeerat Singh Mann. With players like Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh, the team oozes talent and can give the top teams a run for their money. It is just that they need to put in the performances at a better consistency.

Players To Watch Out For: Mandeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh.

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3. Mumbai

The domestic giants, Mumbai, like Delhi have not been great in recent years. However, it looks like things have been revitalized in the camp, and there is a genuine feeling that they could do wonders in the upcoming tournament. Their captain Suryakumar Yadav will be their numero uno talisman. He is in splendid form, and if SKY can manage to win few games on his own, Mumbai could well on the road to the knockout stages. There are also players like Shivam Dube, Sarfraz Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Yashasvi Jaiswal who could help SKY with the objective.

Players To Watch Out For: Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube.

2. Karnataka

We place the defending champions at No.2. This is because, Karnataka will be without the services of Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, and Mayank Agarwal for this tournament. Hence, the batting will rest on the shoulders of young Devdutt Padikkal and an out-of-form Karun Nair. Nevertheless, there are a few exciting stars, and this team might yet repeat their performance of the previous season. Karnataka can also rely upon the likes of K Gowtham, Prasidh Krishna, and Shreyas Gopal to deliver the goods for them.

Players To Watch Out For: Devdutt Padikkal, K Gowtham and Prasidh Krishna.

1. Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Cricket Team
Photo: Vijay Shankar/Instagram

There is a reason why we have put them at No.1. Over the seasons, they have been very consistent, and they are only faltering at the final step. This time, we feel that they have the roster to complete the ultimate step. The current crop of players also inspires confidence and worthy of a challenge. While DK will captain the squad, he will have the likes of Vijay Shankar, M Ashwin, Shahrukh Khan, and other young talents in the squad who are ready to perform yet again at this level.

Players To Watch Out For: Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar and Murugan Ashwin.