# Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026: Sai Kishore to lead Tamil Nadu; Varun, Natarajan named in squad
_R. Sai Kishore captains a 16-member Tamil Nadu squad for the T20 tournament starting November 14._

- Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in)
- Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-2026-sai-kishore-to-lead-tamil-nadu-varun-natarajan
- Author: Rohit, Sports writer (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/rohit)
- Published: 2026-10-31T19:52:18.269Z
- Section: Cricket > IPL
- Topics: Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Tamil Nadu, R. Sai Kishore, Varun Chakaravarthy, T. Natarajan
## Summary

Sportstar reported that R. Sai Kishore will lead Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026, beginning November 14. C.V. Varun and T. Natarajan are included in the squad.

## Key takeaways

- R. Sai Kishore named Tamil Nadu captain
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starts November 14
- C.V. Varun and T. Natarajan in squad
- Tamil Nadu in Group B alongside seven other teams
- Matches to be played in Indore

## Article

R. Sai Kishore will lead Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, starting November 14, Sportstar reported. The tournament is a domestic Twenty20 championship in India organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The 16-member squad consists of no major surprises. P.

Amith Sathvik and B. Sachin lead the batting firepower at the top, while N. Jagadeesan, M. Shahrukh Khan, Andre Siddarth and S. Rithik Easwaran provide middle-order options. V. Varun, Sai Kishore and M. Siddharth will lead the spin department. Pacers Athisayaraj Davidson and G.

Kishoor, who did well in the TNPL, have been rewarded with a call-up. However, K. Easwaran, who was the third-highest wicket-taker in the T20 league with 15 scalps, has missed out. R. P. Amith Sathvik, N. Jagadeesan, B. Sachin, C. Andre Siddarth, S. Rithik Easwaran, M.

Shahrukh Khan, Sunny Sandhu, R. Rajkumar, T. Natarajan, Gurjapneet Singh, G. Kishoor, M. V. Varun and V. Athisayaraj Davidson. Standbys : U. Mukilesh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, S. Mohan Prasath and R. Silambarasan.

## Why it matters

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is named after former Test cricketer Syed Mushtaq Ali, who scored the first overseas Test century by an Indian player when he made 112 against England at Old Trafford in 1936.

Mushtaq Ali was an Indian cricketer, a right-handed opening batsman noted for his graceful batting style and a flair which often cost him his wicket by being over-adventurous too soon in an innings. He received the C. K.

Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995, the highest honour bestowed by the BCCI on a former player. He batted right-handed and bowled slow left-arm orthodox spin. He bowled frequently enough in domestic matches to be classified as an all-rounder but only occasionally in Test matches.

## What happens next

Tamil Nadu is slotted in Group B alongside Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Railways, Saurashtra and Bihar, with matches set to be played in Indore, Sportstar reported.

The tournament will run from 14 November to 6 December 2026 and features all 38 teams from the Ranji Trophy. The teams were divided into four elite groups, consisting of eight teams each, and one plate group comprising six teams.

The tournament was a part of the 2026–27 Indian domestic cricket season, as announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2026. Jharkhand were the defending champions.

### Related on Apex Sports News

- [Manish Pandey included in Karnataka probables for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/manish-pandey-included-in-karnataka-probables-for-syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy)

### Sources

- [Sportstar](https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/domestic/syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-2026-tamil-nadu-team-sai-kishore-captain-varun-natarajan-tnpl/article71650397.ece)
- [Wikipedia: Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (background)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Mushtaq_Ali_Trophy)
- [Photo: Dee03, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T_Natarajan.jpg)
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