The Indian domestic season of 2020-21 will begin with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. The BCCI will conduct a domestic event in India for the first time after the COVID-19 break. Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy is a very prestigious competition. Teams from all over the nation collide in this tournament. The first edition of this event happened in 2009/10.
Before that, the BCCI had named this competition as Inter-State T20 Championship. Gujarat, Baroda, and Karnataka have won two titles each. Karnataka team are also the two-time defending champions of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. The domestic players use this tournament as a platform to gain IPL franchises’ attention. In this article, we will look at the five-star players who will play in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy this year.
5. Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina did not play a single match in 2020. He announced his retirement on Independence Day. Next, he travelled to the United Arab Emirates. However, just before IPL 2020, he pulled out of the tournament due to personal reasons. Nevertheless, Raina is all set to return to action this month.
Uttar Pradesh named Suresh Raina in their squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. The left-handed batsman will play under Priyam Garg’s captaincy. Raina’s presence will help Garg a lot in the leadership aspect. Uttar Pradesh had won the title in 2015/16. They have a strong chance of winning the tournament again this year.
4. Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla is another player who was a part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team. Chawla has played for three teams in IPL. He started with the Kings XI Punjab. Next, he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders. In IPL 2020, Chawla donned the CSK jersey. However, in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, he will play for Gujarat.
Earlier, Chawla played for Uttar Pradesh. But a few seasons ago, he switched to Gujarat. Axar Patel will captain the Gujarat cricket team. As mentioned ahead, Gujarat has won two trophies. It will be intriguing to see if they could win their third championship.
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will make his return to the cricket field after the IPL in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. Uttar Pradesh named the right-arm fast bowler in their squad. Kumar has struggled with his fitness of late. The right-arm pacer was a match-winner for India in all formats. However, injuries derailed his career.
He could not play for an extended period in any format. Even in IPL 2020, Bhuvneshwar picked up an injury mid-way. Kumar will have an opportunity to prove his fitness in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. He has won the Purple Cap in IPL in the past. Thus, he is a player who can turn the game with his wicket-taking abilities.
2. Dinesh Karthik
Former Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik will lead Tamil Nadu in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. Karthik has played much T20 cricket. He has been a part of multiple IPL franchises. Also, he had helped India win the Nidahas Trophy. Thus, he is an established game-changer in the shortest format.
Karthik will have the support of all-rounder Vijay Shankar in the Tamil Nadu squad. Chennai Super Kings star Narayan Jagadeesan will also play for the Tamil Nadu team. Thus, Karthik will have the onus of guiding his juniors properly. Tamil Nadu had reached the final last year. Unfortunately, Karnataka beat them in a closely-contested final.
1. Sreesanth
2011 World Cup winner Sreesanth had been away from the cricket field because of his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. BCCI banned Sreesanth after IPL 2013. Almost eight years later, Sreesanth will play in a BCCI Organized tournament. During his time away from the field, Sreesanth participated in reality shows. He also improved his physique.
The right-arm fast bowler will play for Kerala in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2020-21. Sreesanth was a part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad also. He has much experience under his belt. The former Rajasthan Royals star will try his best to ensure Kerala makes it big in this tournament. It will be interesting to see how Sreesanth performs in the competition.
