The highly awaited Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is all set to begin on January 10. Some of the finest T20 players in India will feature in the star-studded domestic T20 tournament. The Indian selectors will be keeping a sharp eye on all the performers as the ICC T20 world cup will be held in India later this year.
The 38-team event will be played across Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara, Indore, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu in the group-stage format before Ahmedabad plays host to the knockout stage of the tournament. In this feature, we look ahead at the 5 key players who can potentially light up the marquee tournament.
Here are 5 players to watch out for in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT)
5. Ruturaj Gaikwad
The able right-handed batsman showed his class in the last three matches of CSK in IPL 2020 and scored 3 consecutive fifties. Gaikwad enhanced his reputation as the world saw glimpses of his expertise in the biggest T20 league. Gaikwad looked at home again both pace and spin which is a hallmark of a champion batsman.
Now in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he will be intending to continue his rich vein of form in T20 cricket. Gaikwad has loads of experience of playing domestic T20 cricket as he has already scored over 1000 runs in the format. He ended the last season of SMAT as the leading run-getter with 419 runs. Maharashtra will depend heavily on Gaikwad and will be wishing that he scores consistently and help them lift the trophy.
Also Read:Â IPL 2020: Faf Du Plessis Compares Ruturaj Gaikwad To Young Virat Kohli
