The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) is back for its 2024 edition, bringing excitement and fierce competition to India’s domestic cricket scene.
This article will cover everything you need to know about the upcoming tournament, including its start date, participating teams, schedule, and key announcements.
When Will The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 Start?
Cricket fans across India can mark their calendars for Saturday, November 23, 2024. This date kicks off the much-anticipated Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024.
The tournament will run for just over three weeks, concluding with the final match on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 Teams By Groups
The 2024 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy features a total of 38 teams divided into five groups: A, B, C, D, and E. Here’s the breakdown of teams in each group:
Group A:
- Bengal
- Punjab
- Bihar
- Rajasthan
- Hyderabad
- Meghalaya
- Madhya Pradesh
- Mizoram
Group B:
- Baroda
- Gujarat
- Karnataka
- Uttarakhand
- Saurashtra
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Tripura
Group C:
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Himachal Pradesh
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Haryana
- Manipur
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Jharkhand
Group D:
- Assam
- Railways
- Chandigarh
- Puducherry
- Vidarbha
- Odisha
- Chhattisgarh
Group E:
- Goa
- Mumbai
- Kerala
- Services
- Maharashtra
- Nagaland
- Andhra
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024: Schedule
The SMAT 2024 promises an action-packed three weeks of T20 cricket. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule:
| Match | Group | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengal vs Punjab | A | Nov 23, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Bihar vs Rajasthan | A | Nov 23, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Hyderabad vs Meghalaya | A | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Madhya Pradesh vs Mizoram | A | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Baroda vs Gujarat | B | Nov 23, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Karnataka vs Uttarakhand | B | Nov 23, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Saurashtra vs Sikkim | B | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Tamil Nadu vs Tripura | B | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Himachal Pradesh | C | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Delhi vs Uttar Pradesh | C | Nov 23, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Haryana vs Manipur | C | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Jammu & Kashmir vs Jharkhand | C | Nov 23, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Assam vs Railways | D | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Chandigarh vs Puducherry | D | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Vidarbha vs Odisha | D | Nov 23, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Goa vs Mumbai | E | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Kerala vs Services | E | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Maharashtra vs Nagaland | E | Nov 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Bengal vs Hyderabad | A | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Bihar vs Punjab | A | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Madhya Pradesh vs Meghalaya | A | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Mizoram vs Rajasthan | A | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Baroda vs Uttarakhand | B | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Gujarat vs Saurashtra | B | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Karnataka vs Tripura | B | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Sikkim vs Tamil Nadu | B | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Haryana | C | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Delhi vs Jammu & Kashmir | C | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Himachal Pradesh vs Uttar Pradesh | C | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Jharkhand vs Manipur | C | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Chandigarh vs Vidarbha | D | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Chhattisgarh vs Puducherry | D | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Odisha vs Railways | D | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Andhra vs Nagaland | E | Nov 25, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Goa vs Services | E | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Kerala vs Maharashtra | E | Nov 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Bengal vs Mizoram | A | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Bihar vs Meghalaya | A | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Hyderabad vs Rajasthan | A | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Madhya Pradesh vs Punjab | A | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Baroda vs Tamil Nadu | B | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Gujarat vs Tripura | B | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Karnataka vs Saurashtra | B | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Sikkim vs Uttarakhand | B | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Jammu & Kashmir | C | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Delhi vs Haryana | C | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Himachal Pradesh vs Jharkhand | C | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Manipur vs Uttar Pradesh | C | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Assam vs Chandigarh | D | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Chhattisgarh vs Railways | D | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Vidarbha vs Puducherry | D | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Andhra vs Goa | E | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Kerala vs Nagaland | E | Nov 27, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Maharashtra vs Mumbai | E | Nov 27, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Bengal vs Madhya Pradesh | A | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Bihar vs Hyderabad | A | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Meghalaya vs Rajasthan | A | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Mizoram vs Punjab | A | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Baroda vs Tripura | B | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Gujarat vs Tamil Nadu | B | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Karnataka vs Sikkim | B | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Saurashtra vs Uttarakhand | B | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Jharkhand | C | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Delhi vs Manipur | C | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Haryana vs Uttar Pradesh | C | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Himachal Pradesh vs Jammu & Kashmir | C | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Assam vs Vidarbha | D | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Chandigarh vs Chhattisgarh | D | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Odisha vs Puducherry | D | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Andhra vs Maharashtra | E | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Kerala vs Mumbai | E | Nov 29, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Nagaland vs Services | E | Nov 29, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Bengal vs Meghalaya | A | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Bihar vs Mizoram | A | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Hyderabad vs Punjab | A | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Madhya Pradesh vs Rajasthan | A | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Baroda vs Saurashtra | B | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Gujarat vs Sikkim | B | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Karnataka vs Tamil Nadu | B | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Tripura vs Uttarakhand | B | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Uttar Pradesh | C | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Delhi vs Himachal Pradesh | C | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Haryana vs Jharkhand | C | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Jammu & Kashmir vs Manipur | C | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Assam vs Puducherry | D | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Chhattisgarh vs Odisha | D | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Vidarbha vs Railways | D | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Andhra vs Services | E | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Goa vs Kerala | E | Dec 1, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Nagaland vs Mumbai | E | Dec 1, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Bengal vs Bihar | A | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Hyderabad vs Madhya Pradesh | A | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Meghalaya vs Mizoram | A | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Punjab vs Rajasthan | A | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Baroda vs Karnataka | B | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Gujarat vs Uttarakhand | B | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Saurashtra vs Tamil Nadu | B | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Sikkim vs Tripura | B | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Manipur | C | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Delhi vs Jharkhand | C | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Haryana vs Himachal Pradesh | C | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Jammu & Kashmir vs Uttar Pradesh | C | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Assam vs Odisha | D | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Chandigarh vs Railways | D | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Chhattisgarh vs Vidarbha | D | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Andhra vs Kerala | E | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Goa vs Maharashtra | E | Dec 3, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Services vs Mumbai | E | Dec 3, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Bengal vs Rajasthan | A | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Bihar vs Madhya Pradesh | A | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Hyderabad vs Mizoram | A | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Meghalaya vs Punjab | A | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Baroda vs Sikkim | B | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Gujarat vs Karnataka | B | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Saurashtra vs Tripura | B | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Tamil Nadu vs Uttarakhand | B | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Delhi | C | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Haryana vs Jammu & Kashmir | C | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Himachal Pradesh vs Manipur | C | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Jharkhand vs Uttar Pradesh | C | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Assam vs Chhattisgarh | D | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Chandigarh vs Odisha | D | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Puducherry vs Railways | D | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Andhra vs Mumbai | E | Dec 5, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Goa vs Nagaland | E | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Maharashtra vs Services | E | Dec 5, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Pre-Quarter Final 1 | – | Dec 9, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Pre-Quarter Final 2 | – | Dec 9, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Quarter Final 1 | – | Dec 11, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Quarter Final 2 | – | Dec 11, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Quarter Final 3 | – | Dec 11, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Quarter Final 4 | – | Dec 11, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Semi Final 1 | – | Dec 13, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
| Semi Final 2 | – | Dec 13, 2024 | 1:30 PM |
| Final | – | Dec 15, 2024 | 9:00 AM |
The tournament will continue with matches on November 23, 25, 27, 29, and December 1, 3, and 5. The pre-quarterfinals are scheduled for December 9, followed by quarter-finals on December 11, semi-finals on December 13, and the grand finale on December 15.
Teams And Squads For SMAT 2024
Here’s a look at some of the key players from each team participating in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024:
Kerala: Sanju Samson, Sachin Baby, Vishnu Vinod, Basil Thampi, Jalaj Saxena
Puducherry: Ankit Sharma, Sagar Udeshi, Fabid Ahmed, Paras Ratnaparkhe, Bhupender Chauhan
Bengal: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Wriddhiman Saha, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar
Bihar: Sakibul Gani, Babul Kumar, Ashutosh Aman, Himanshu Singh, Mangal Mahrour
Punjab: Mandeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Harpreet Brar, Anmolpreet Singh
Karnataka: Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Krishnappa Gowtham, Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair
Tamil Nadu: Dinesh Karthik, Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, R Sai Kishore
Jharkhand: Ishan Kishan, Varun Aaron, Shahbaz Nadeem, Saurabh Tiwary, Anukul Roy
Odisha: Subhranshu Senapati, Rajesh Dhuper, Abhishek Raut, Govinda Poddar, Suryakant Pradhan
Baroda: Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Vishnu Solanki, Lukman Meriwala, Atit Sheth
Manipur: Rex Rajkumar, L Kishan Singha, Bishworjit Singh, Sultan Karim, Nitesh Sedai
Goa: Amogh Desai, Darshan Misal, Felix Alemao, Lakshay Garg, Suyash Prabhudessai
Sikkim: Nilesh Lamichaney, Ashish Thapa, Lee Yong Lepcha, Ankur Malik, Pankaj Kumar Rawat
Maharashtra: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Kedar Jadhav, Satyajeet Bachhav, Mukesh Choudhary
Railways: Karn Sharma, Amit Mishra, Pratham Singh, Harsh Tyagi, Shivam Chaudhary
Haryana: Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Tewatia, Himanshu Rana, Jayant Yadav
Gujarat: Priyank Panchal, Axar Patel, Piyush Chawla, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Ripal Patel
Meghalaya: Punit Bisht, Sanjay Yadav, Dippu Sangma, Sylvester Mylliempdah, Akash Kumar
Chhattisgarh: Amandeep Khare, Ajay Mandal, Shashank Singh, Ravi Kiran, Sourabh Majumdar
Mumbai: Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shivam Dube
Vidarbha: Faiz Fazal, Akshay Wadkar, Darshan Nalkande, Aditya Sarwate, Yash Thakur
Arunachal Pradesh: Akhilesh Sahani, Techi Doria, Kamsha Yangfo, Nabam Temol, Myendung Singpho
Jammu and Kashmir: Parvez Rasool, Abdul Samad, Umran Malik, Shubham Pundir, Auqib Nabi
Nagaland: Stuart Binny, Rongsen Jonathan, Hokaito Zhimomi, Sedezhalie Rupero, Khrievitso Kense
Hyderabad: Tanmay Agarwal, Tilak Varma, Mohammed Siraj, Ravi Teja, Chama Milind
Assam: Riyan Parag, Abu Nechim, Sibsankar Roy, Pallav Kumar Das, Saahil Jain
Uttarakhand: Tanmay Srivastava, Dikshanshu Negi, Mayank Mishra, Swapnil Singh, Akash Madhwal
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Winners List
Since its inception in 2006-07, the tournament has seen various teams rise to claim the coveted title. Let’s take a look at the champions over the years and some key highlights from the tournament’s history.
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | Tamil Nadu | Punjab | Mumbai |
| 2009-10 | Maharashtra | Hyderabad | Indore |
| 2010-11 | Bengal | Madhya Pradesh | Hyderabad |
| 2011-12 | Baroda | Punjab | Mumbai |
| 2012-13 | Gujarat | Punjab | Indore |
| 2013-14 | Baroda | Uttar Pradesh | Mumbai |
| 2014-15 | Gujarat | Punjab | Bhubaneshwar |
| 2015-16 | Uttar Pradesh | Baroda | Mumbai |
| 2016-17 | East Zone | Central Zone | Mumbai |
| 2017-18 | Delhi | Rajasthan | Kolkata |
| 2018-19 | Karnataka | Maharashtra | Indore |
| 2019-20 | Karnataka | Tamil Nadu | Surat |
| 2020-21 | Tamil Nadu | Baroda | Ahmedabad |
| 2021-22 | Tamil Nadu | Karnataka | Delhi |
| 2022-23 | Mumbai | Himachal Pradesh | Kolkata |
| 2023-24 | Punjab | Baroda | Punjab |
Highlights Over The Years
- Tamil Nadu’s dominance: Tamil Nadu has been the most successful team in the tournament’s history, winning the trophy three times (2006-07, 2020-21, 2021-22). They were also the first team to successfully defend their title.
- Multiple-time winners: Apart from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Baroda have each won the trophy twice.
- Mumbai’s long wait: Despite being a powerhouse in Indian domestic cricket, Mumbai had to wait until the 2022-23 season to win their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
- Rohit Sharma’s century: In the inaugural edition (2006-07), an 18-year-old Rohit Sharma, representing Mumbai, scored the first-ever T20 century by an Indian player.
- Format changes: The tournament has undergone several format changes over the years. In 2016-17, it was briefly changed to an inter-zonal event before reverting to its original state-based format.
- Expansion of teams: The tournament started with 27 teams in 2006-07 and has since expanded to include 38 teams as of 2022, mirroring the participation in the Ranji Trophy.
- Recent champions: Punjab won the most recent edition (2023-24), adding their name to the list of champions for the first time.
- Competitive finals: The tournament has seen many closely contested finals, with teams like Punjab and Baroda featuring multiple times as runners-up before eventually winning the title.
SMAT 2024: New Announcements
In a significant development for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to remove the impact player rule. This rule, which allowed teams to substitute a player during the match, was introduced to add a new tactical dimension to the game. However, its removal from SMAT 2024 marks a return to a more traditional playing format.
The decision to remove the impact player rule reflects the BCCI’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the game while also considering feedback from players and teams. This change will require teams to rely more on their initial playing XI and make strategic decisions before the start of the match.
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Conclusion: SMAT 2024 Teams, Schedule, And Fixtures
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 is set to be an exciting showcase of India’s T20 talent. With 38 teams competing across five groups, cricket fans can look forward to three weeks of thrilling matches, standout performances, and potential breakout stars.
The tournament serves as a vital platform for players to catch the eye of selectors and potentially earn spots in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or even the national team. For many young cricketers, SMAT 2024 represents a golden opportunity to make their mark on the national stage.
The removal of the impact player rule adds an interesting twist to this year’s tournament. Teams will need to be more strategic in their selection and on-field decisions, potentially leading to more traditional and purist forms of T20 cricket.
As the tournament unfolds, keep an eye out for emerging talents, seasoned performers stepping up their game, and the intense competition as teams vie for the coveted Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
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