# Sanju Samson to lead Kerala in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
_Sanju Samson will captain Kerala's 18-member squad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026._

- Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in)
- Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/sanju-samson-to-lead-kerala-in-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy
- Author: Sapna Pandey, Sports writer (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/sapna-pandey)
- Published: 2026-11-11T16:59:48.945Z
- Section: Cricket
- Topics: Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Sanju Samson
## Summary

Sanju Samson will lead Kerala's 18-member squad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026. Kerala opens against Madhya Pradesh at PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on November 14.

## Key takeaways

- Sanju Samson named Kerala captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026
- 18-member squad announced by Kerala Cricket Association
- Campaign starts against Madhya Pradesh at PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on November 14
- Kerala placed in Group C with seven teams
- Samson scored 233 runs in six innings last season

## Article

India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has been named Kerala captain for the upcoming 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, with Kerala Cricket Association announcing an 18-member squad on November 10, 2026.

Kerala will begin their campaign against Madhya Pradesh at PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on November 14, 2026.

The squad includes Sanju Samson (captain, wicketkeeper), Rohan Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wicketkeeper), Ahammed Imran, Govind Dev, Krishna Devan, Vishnu Vinod (wicketkeeper), Salman Nizar, Akhil Scaria, Nikhil M, Vignesh Puthur, Biju Narayanan, Karthik B Nair, Vaisakh Chandran, KM Asif, Nidheesh MD, and Sharafuddeen.

Samson returns to domestic T20 cricket in the gap between India's tour of New Zealand and the Sri Lanka series scheduled for the third week of December. Kerala are placed in Elite Group C alongside Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Tripura, and Madhya Pradesh.

86 as Kerala finished fourth in their group and missed out on the Super League. Samson has not had a productive run in New Zealand, firing scores of 14, 18, 4 and 4 after a quickfire 67 in the first T20I.

However overall, he has been enjoying a rich run in the format, including a 'Player of the Tournament' campaign in India's T20 World Cup win, with 319 runs including three back-to-back fifties from Super Eights to the finals.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy serves as an important tournament for young domestic players to impress IPL franchises ahead of the mini auction scheduled next month. Stars from the Kerala Cricket League have been rewarded, with Ahammed Imran and Govind Dev making the squad. KM Asif and Vignesh Puthur are included alongside red-ball captain Vishnu Vinod and his predecessor Mohammed Azharuddeen.

### Kerala squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026

| Player | Role |
| --- | --- |
| Sanju Samson | Captain, wicketkeeper |
| Rohan Kunnummal | Batter |
| Mohammed Azharuddeen | Wicketkeeper |
| Ahammed Imran | Top-order batter |
| Govind Dev | Batting allrounder |
| Krishna Devan | Player |
| Vishnu Vinod | Wicketkeeper |
| Salman Nizar | Player |
| Akhil Scaria | Player |
| Nikhil M | Player |
| Vignesh Puthur | Spinner |
| Biju Narayanan | Player |

### Related on Apex Sports News

- [JKCA Announces 15-Member Squad For Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/jkca-announces-15-member-squad-for-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy)
- [Suryakumar Yadav named Mumbai captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/suryakumar-yadav-named-mumbai-captain-for-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy)
- [Mohammed Shami Included In Bengal Squad For Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/mohammed-shami-included-in-bengal-squad-for-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy)

### Sources

- [NDTV Sports](https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sanju-samson-to-lead-keralam-in-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-12310946#publisher=newsstand)
- [sportstar.thehindu.com](https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/domestic/sanju-samson-kerala-captain-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-squad-announcement/article71687173.ece)
- [Photo: Rajasthan Royals, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sanju_Samson_batting_on_nets_2.jpg)
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Source: Apex Sports News, https://apexsportsnews.in/news/sanju-samson-to-lead-kerala-in-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy. Please cite and link the original article when quoting.