5 batters who could earn an IPL contract with a good Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023 ft. KL Shrijith and Rahul Singh

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), the premier inter-state T20 competition organized by the BCCI gets underway on Monday, October 16. Some of the finest talents in the country will be competing in it and providing us with a glimpse of what the future holds for India.

Defending champions Tamil Nadu start their season by playing against bitter foes Karnataka at the Kasiga College Ground in Dehradun whereas biggies Mumbai take on Haryana at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Hyderabad take on Meghalaya at the KL Saini Ground in the same city.

The SMAT is also one of the most fertile grounds for IPL franchises to recruit players into their ranks. It is a well-known fact that a lot of the franchises send their scouts to watch these matches to find out in detail about the temperament and composure of the players in question.

This does, quite often, result in the shortlisted players being called for trials ahead of the IPL auctions.

In this listicle, we bring to you five batters who could earn an IPL contract if they have a good Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy:

#1 KL Shrijith (Karnataka)

KL Shrijith

KL Shrijith, who made a comeback into the Karnataka side for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy owing to his performances in the Maharaja Trophy held earlier this year, will hope to continue in the same vein of form.

If the southpaw manages to impress the IPL scouts in this tournament, he will be picked up by the franchises for sure. Elegant and composed at the crease, Shrijith is known to possess both anchoring and slogging skills.

He is an ideal player for the shortest format of the game and will provide Karnataka with a lot of variety in their middle order.

#2 Ajitesh Guruswamy (Tamil Nadu)

Young Ajitesh Guruswamy, who forced his way back into the senior Tamil Nadu side for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by bagging 385 runs and ending up as the leading run-getter of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) held earlier this year, will be keen on impressing on the big stage as well.

He was striking the ball at 166 in the TNPL and will be hoping to continue that here as well.

Ajitesh is known to hit the ball a long way and also possesses a calm head on his shoulders. Having made his SMAT debut last season, Ajitesh will be hoping to cement his berth in the senior team this time around.

#3 Sameer Rizvi (Uttar Pradesh)

Middle-order batter Sameer Rizvi, who has been a part of the senior Uttar Pradesh side for some time now, impressed all and sundry with his brilliant showing in the UP T20 league, held earlier this year.

In that tournament, he ended up being third on the list of leading run-getters by bagging 455 runs for Kanpur Superstars.

The 19-year-old is renowned for striking the ball a long way and taking even the most feared of opponents down a peg or two.

He will be looking forward to relishing the opportunity to play in the UP middle order in the SMAT this season and contributing to the best of his ability.

#4 LR Chethan (Karnataka)

LR Chethan

Young LR Chethan, who was picked by the Karnataka senior selectors for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, will be hoping to impress the various IPL franchises watching.

He made it to the senior team on the back of the 309 runs he amassed in the Maharaja Trophy held earlier this year.

Striking at 150, Chethan was ranked sixth on the list of the top run-getters of the tournament.

Having made his T20 debut for Karnataka in 2022 against Kerala, the 23-year-old has only been able to play in four SMAT games so far. This season, however, he will hope that Karnataka give him the opportunities to flourish.

#5 Rahul Singh (Hyderabad)

Rahul Singh, who switched his allegiance back to his home state of Hyderabad ahead of the 2023-24 domestic season from Services, is one of the prime contenders for an IPL contract if he has a decent time in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Singh, who made his debut as a 17-year-old for Hyderabad in the shortest format of the game way back in 2013, moved out soon afterwards to pursue a career with Services.

However, after having obtained an NOC, he is now back with the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) and intends to help them qualify for the knockouts this season.

Boasting of an extremely impressive strike rate of 142 in T20s, Singh will be one of the X-factors for Hyderabad in the tournament. He has trialed for various IPL franchises in the past but has somehow missed out on bagging a deal.