The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts began on Monday, December 9 after the conclusion of the group stage.

As many as 10 teams will compete in a total of nine T20 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts.

A total of 38 teams earlier participated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. These teams were divided into three groups of eight teams each and two groups comprising seven each.

As per the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 format, the top team from each group and the best second-placed teams qualified for the SMAT 2024 quarter-finals while the other four second-placed teams locked horns in the SMAT 2024 pre quarter-finals.

Madhya Pradesh, Baroda, Delhi, Vidarbha, Mumbai and Saurashtra directly qualified for the quarter-finals while Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh and Andhra Pradesh advanced to the pre-quarter-finals.

In the SMAT 2024 pre quarter-finals, Bengal pipped Chandigarh by three runs while Uttar Pradesh beat Andhra Pradesh by four wickets to complete the last eight line-ups.

The quarter-finals matches are scheduled to be played at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium and KSCA Cricket Ground on Wednesday, December 11 while both the semi-finals will be held at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, December 13.

The winners of the two semi-finals will clash in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 final at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, December 15.

Punjab are the defending champions of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after defeating Baroda by 20 runs to clinch their maiden title. 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu are the most successful in the tournament’s history with three titles. 

Get Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts schedule, scores and results.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts schedule and live match start times

All timings are in India Standard Time (IST)

Day and Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Monday, December 9	Bengal vs Chandigarh, Pre Quarter-final 1	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	11:00 AM
Monday, December 9	Andhra vs Uttar Pradesh, Pre Quarter Final 2	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	4:30 PM
Wednesday, December 11	Baroda vs Bengal, Quarter-final 1	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	11:00 AM
Wednesday, December 11	Delhi vs Uttar Pradesh, Quarter-final 2	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	4:30 PM
Wednesday, December 11	Madhya Pradesh vs Saurashtra, Quarter-final 3	KSCA Cricket Ground, Alur	11:00 AM
Wednesday, December 11	Mumbai vs Vidarbha, Quarter Final 4	KSCA Cricket Ground, Alur	4:30 PM
Friday, December 13	Baroda vs Mumbai, Semi-final 1	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	11:00 AM
Friday, December 13	Delhi vs Madhya Pradesh, Semi-final 2	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	4:30 PM
Sunday, December 15	Mumbai vs Madhya Pradesh, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 final	M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	4:30 PM

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts scores and results

Day and Date	Match	Scores/Results
Monday, December 9	Bengal vs Chandigarh, Pre Quarter-final 1	Bengal won by 3 runs
Monday, December 9	Andhra vs Uttar Pradesh, Pre Quarter Final 2	Uttar Pradesh won by 4 wickets
Wednesday, December 11	Baroda vs Bengal, Quarter-final 1	Baroda won by 41 runs
Wednesday, December 11	Delhi vs Uttar Pradesh, Quarter-final 2	Delhi won by 19 runs
Wednesday, December 11	Madhya Pradesh vs Saurashtra, Quarter-final 3	Madhya Pradesh won by 6 wkts
Wednesday, December 11	Mumbai vs Vidarbha, Quarter Final 4	Mumbai won by 6 wkts
Friday, December 13	Baroda vs Mumbai, Semi-final 1	Mumbai won by 6 wkts
Friday, December 13	Delhi vs Madhya Pradesh, Semi-final 2	Madhya Pradesh won by 7 wkts
Sunday, December 15	Mumbai vs Madhya Pradesh, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 final

Where to watch Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts live in India

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts will be telecast live on Sports18 Khel.

Live streaming of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 knockouts will be available on the JioCinema app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

Defending champions Tamil Nadu will take on southern rivals Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Monday, November 22. 

Tamil Nadu stormed into their third consecutive Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final after beating Hyderabad by eight wickets in the first semi-final. The Vijay Shankar-led side has been impressive in the ongoing T20 tournament, finishing second in the Elite Group A points table behind Maharashtra. The defending champions then defeated Kerala by five wickets in the first quarter-final to set-up their clash against Hyderabad.

On the other hand, Karnataka beat Vidarbha by four runs in a nail-biting second semi-final on Saturday. Led by Manish Pandey, Karnataka had earlier defeated Bengal in a thrilling quarter-final clash and also won four of their five matches in Elite Group B, finishing second in the points table.

Interestingly, the winner of the Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka SMAT final will become the most successful team in the T20 competition, having already won the title two times each. While Tamil Nadu have won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2006 and 2020, Karnataka have claimed the title in 2018 and 2019. Baroda and Gujarat have also clinched the trophy on two occasions each.

Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka full squads

Tamil Nadu squad: Vijay Shankar (captain), N Jagadeesan (wicket-keeper), Adithya Ganesh (wicket-keeper), T Natarajan, Sandeep S Warrier, R Sai Kishore, B Aparajith, M Ashwin, M Shahrukh Khan, C Hari Nishaanth, M Siddharth, V Ganga Sridhar Raju, M Mohammed, J Kousik, R Sanjay Yadav, R Silambarasan, R Vivek Raj, B Sai Sudharshan, P Saravana Kumar

Karnataka squad: Manish Pandey (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, KV Siddharth, Rohan Kadam, Anirudha Joshi, Abhinav Manohar, Karun Nair, BR Sharath (wicket-keeper), Nihal Ullal (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Gopal, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jagadeesha Suchith, Pravin Dubey, KC Cariappa, Prasidh Krishna, Prateek Jain, Vyshak Vijaykumar, MB Darshan, Vidyadhar Patil

Where to watch Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 final live in India?

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 final between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will be telecast live from 12 PM IST on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 final will be available on Disney+ Hotstar app and website. 

SportsAdda will bring you Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka live scores.

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Featured photo: BCCI

The upcoming edition of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will start on October 27, 2021, and will run until November 22, 2021, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a new itinerary on Thursday, August 19.

According to the previous schedule released by BCCI, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was scheduled to be held between October 20 and November 12. 

"The BCCI is working very closely with the government of India, state regulatory authorities, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that our sport achieves a collaborative solution. With this, there is a combined objective for a complete BCCI domestic cricket season 2021-22 to be played, enabling us to maintain the integrity of each competition,�?BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a letter to state bodies.

“The restart date for BCCI domestic cricket season 2021-22 has been reviewed with all stakeholders, as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic develops and we work together through this very challenging time. The BCCI will proceed with the full season of domestic cricket starting with Under-19 tournaments (both categories) in September 2021,�?he added.

The domestic Twenty20 cricket championship will feature 149 matches. The latest Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will have teams divided in five groups, down from the six in the last edition. Three of those groups will have eight teams while two will have seven teams.

Earlier, the Indian cricket board had confirmed that a total of 2,127 domestic games will be played in the 2021-22 season which includes Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and other domestic tournaments across various age groups. 

The governing body also confirmed that the likes of the Irani Cup, Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy have been cancelled.

What happened in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020-21?

The 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy saw Tamil Nadu beating Baroda by seven wickets in the final. Led by Dinesh Karthik, Tamil Nadu topped their Group B before beating Himachal Pradesh in the quarter-finals and Rajasthan in the semi-finals.

In the final of the T20 tournament, Manimaran Siddharth starred by restricting Baroda to 120/9. The bowler picked four important wickets and ended with an economy of five runs per over.

Featured photo: Twitter / Team Kolkata

Tamil Nadu winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 (SMAT) might have hogged all the limelight, but with the Indian T20 League auction coming up in April, all eyes were set on unearthing the best T20 talents from the country. 

SMAT has always been a breeding ground for young cricketers and this year’s edition was no different. From collective intelligence to individual brilliance, the tournament had it all. And now that several Indian T20 League franchises decided to release big names in order to load up the purse, there are high chances that the players from SMAT will land a lucrative Indian T20 League contract.

Here we look at five such players.

Shahrukh Khan - Tamil Nadu

Named after the famed Bollywood actor, Tamil Nadu's Shahrukh Khan may have gotten limited opportunities in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year, but it is fair to say he capitalized on the given window with mere perfection. The 25-year-old showcased the hard-hitting prowess to mere perfection, especially in the final where he scored 18 off just seven balls. His highest score of the season, an unbeaten 40, came off 19 deliveries and that included five fours and two sixes. Arriving in the lower middle-order, Shahrukh Khan has shown the ability of going big, and this particular trait is exactly what can land him an Indian T20 League deal.

Mohammed Azharuddeen -  Kerala

The emergence of a certain Mohammed Azharuddeen took the entire cricketing world by storm when the 22-year-old smashed an unbeaten 137 off just 54 balls in side’s eight-wicket win over Mumbai. He may have failed to jot down runs since, but his knock has rightly earned him the praise he deserves. In just five games during the tournament, Azharudeen scored 214 runs at an average of 53.50 and strike rate of 194.54. The 22-year-old smashed a total of 15 sixes during this tournament, and thus, could be a handy option for several Indian T20 League teams.

Lukman Meriwala - Baroda

The second-highest wicket-taker of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021, Lukman Meriwala was an absolute revelation for Baroda throughout the tournament, picking 15 wickets in eight games while bowling at an impressive economy of 6.52. He is one of the five players in the competition who picked a five-fer this season. The 29-year-old, in fact, had a slow start to the tournament but bounced back by picking eight wickets in two games while giving away just 21 runs. One those innings included a glaring spell of 5/8 against Chhattisgarh. In the semi-final, he skimmed through Punjab’s top order to pick three for 28 as Baroda made their way into the final with a 25-run win.

Vishnu Solanki - Baroda

Another one of Baroda’s gems, 28-year-old Vishnu Solanki grabbed the limelight when he pulled off an MS Dhoni-esque helicopter shot in the ball to guide his team to the semi-final, beating Haryana in the quarterfinal. Baroda needed 15 runs off the final three balls, and Solanki stepped up to hit a six and a four before hitting the winning six to win the game in a dramatic fashion. Solanki was equally brilliant in the final. The 28-year-old scored 49 runs to take his team from 36 for 6 to a respectable total of 120 for 9 in 20 overs. 

Solanki might come handy for those Indian T20 League teams who are looking for a top-order scorcher.

Jalaj Saxena - Kerala

Kerala's Jalaj Saxena may very well be on the wrong side of 30s, but his exploits in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy cannot go unnoticed. The off-spinner has had a turbulent Indian T20 League career so far, having been a part of team Mumbai, team Bangalore and team Delhi, but he failed to get into the starting XI before being released ahead of last year's edition. The 34-year-old was Kerala's top wicket-taker in SMAT this year with 10 scalps in just five appearances. He was in mostly called into action during the middle overs and did manage to end the tournament with an economy of less than seven. With plenty of experience under his sleeves, Saxena might land a lucrative deal ahead of the Indian T20 League 2021.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @BCCIdomestic

Former Indian pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth made his much-anticipated return to competitive cricket in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 37-year-old took just seven balls to bag his first wicket in seven-and-a-half years.

The Kerala bowler, who served a reduced seven-year life ban for his involvement in the 2013 Indian T20 League spot-fixing scandal, has returned with three wickets in two games and has set sights for a potential recall to the Indian cricket team.

Former #India fast bowler #Sreesanth after his 7-year ban is all set to play for #Kerala in domestic cricket. He was included in the team for Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament scheduled in January. @sreesanth36 says his goal is to be in #India 2023 World Cup team and win the cup! pic.twitter.com/G4mBEVoNth

�?Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) December 30, 2020

Sreesanth’s ban ended in September 2020, and he was included in Kerala’s squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in December. The questions raised were mainly about the veteran fast bowler’s ability to recreate his trademark swing bowling that often made opposition batsmen sweat buckets at the crease.

Perhaps, the Puducherry-Kerala fixture answered these concerns in time as Sreesanth forced Fabid Ahmed to play forward but got the ball to beat the inside edge and hit the middle stump. It wasn’t the perfect in-swinger, but it did bring back the memories of a prime Sreesanth.

Thanks a lot for all the support and love ..it’s just the beginning..with all of ur wishes and prayers many many many more to go..❤️ lots of respect to u nd family .. #blessed #humbled #cricket #bcci #kerala #love #team #family #india #nevergiveup pic.twitter.com/bMnXbYOrHm

�?Sreesanth (@sreesanth36) January 11, 2021

He took to Twitter to pour out his emotions, and it didn’t take long for cricket fans to quickly congratulate him for his never-say-die attitude.

Remembering the quote from the book Alchemist.....""When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."....Keep going man...with thirst for wickets... ✌️✌️✌️....

�?Unnikrishnan K S (@Unnikri21840181) January 11, 2021

I couldn't hold myself to post these victory pictures of #Sreesanth
1st wicket after 7 heavy long years

Watching him on to play on field His Hardwork finally paid off @sreesanth36 pic.twitter.com/2arbmBq5vK

�?Anjali Sreefam (@AnjaliMahajan11) January 11, 2021

The fire in your belly is out. Don't get this take a backfoot with your emotions. It needs to be preserved till you come back in the team. Great going buddy. No worries you will come hard on your detractors

�?Sujith Nair (@sujith768) January 12, 2021

You could have been banned for two or three years. But the seven-year was too long. We miss your game so much. It was very entertaining for us where you were there in the ground.
I want to see you in playing 11 in Indian cricket team .
Angry bird..@sreesanth36 #BCCI

�?Ratnakar Gouda (@Ratnakar_G24) January 13, 2021

Sreesanth saying "Thank You" to the pitch after the completing his spell against Pondicherry. pic.twitter.com/KPyI6Fg6ZL

�?Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 11, 2021

Siddarth Kaul, one of the prominent bowling talents in the country, was one of the few big names to celebrate Sreesanth’s return.

What a ball bhai . Top class

�?Siddharth Kaul (@iamsidkaul) January 12, 2021

The right-arm pacer finished with figures of 1/29 to cap an impressive performance in his first competitive game in years. His next game, against Mumbai, saw him produce one of his trademark aggression tactics. He attempted to sledge young Mumbai opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the sixth over of the Kerala-Mumbai fixture.

The 19-year-old, unfazed by the taunts, slammed two sixes and a boundary in response to Sreesanth’s challenge.

So, Sreesanth stares at Yashasvi and a ball later he deposits him for a couple sixes #SMAT2021 #SMAT

�?Kartik O �? (@KOCricket528) January 13, 2021

Someone tell @sreesanth36 a long run-up & sledging doesn’t make anyone a world-class fast bowler. But getting hammered after you sledge makes it clear you’re more bluster than a bowler http://t.co/SeImbXBoJp

�?Charles Assisi (@c_assisi) January 14, 2021

After a wicket-less outing against Mumbai, Sreesanth returned to his usual best as he took the wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Nitish Rana in Kerala’s six-wicket win over Delhi. While he dismissed Rana for 16 in the 12th over, the pacer got rid of a dangerous Dhawan in the 17th over after the southpaw’s 48-ball 77 helped Delhi post a mammoth score of 212/4 in their quota of 20 overs. Sreesanth had claimed the wicket of the India international with a full-toss delivery and was subsequently caught by Salman Nizar at the deep-mid wicket.

@sreesanth36 picks up two big wickets against Delhi- Shikhar Dhawan and Nitish Rana . This would do a lot to his confidence.#DELVKER $#DELVSKER

�?Midhun M Menon (@Mid_On_) January 15, 2021

These performances have boosted Sreesanth’s morale for the remainder of the tournament, and cricket fans are eager to see the former India pacer continue his comeback journey in the sport with wickets and a title in the bag.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP / Prakash Singh

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has been a platform for talented batsmen to be scouted for the Indian cricket team in the T20 format and franchise teams in the cash-rich Indian T20 League.

The 12-season-old T20 domestic tournament has seen a whirlwind of performances that have aided in broadening local cricketers�?scope. Thus, we pick out those three players whose innings elevated the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy’s competitiveness.

Hardik Pandya (2016)

Hardik Pandya is a name synonymous with run-machine and an eccentric figure on the cricket field. It was not until Baroda’s Group C match against Delhi in 2016 that Pandya had the first taste of global recognition.

Most runs in an over in T20s:

39 Hardik Pandya off Akash Sudan
38 S Styris off J Fuller
37 Gayle off Parameswaran
36 Yuvraj off Broad

�?Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) January 11, 2016

Pandya came to bat at number three, and he took Baroda from 93/6 after 18 overs to 153/6 by the end of their innings. Akash Sudan, playing in only his second T20 game, was given to bowl the last over, and little did he know that the then-22-year-old Pandya would take him to the cleaners.

Here is for all who wanted to see . #t20 #ontrack pic.twitter.com/eK1yslQQBp

�?hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) January 8, 2016

Hardik Pandya hit 6, 4b, 6, 6+NB, 4, 6, 6 off Sudan’s over, thereby setting the record for most runs in an over in T20 cricket. This performance served as a stepping stone for him ahead of his T20I debut in January 2016, where he claimed two wickets but did not bat against Australia.

Today, Pandya is a household name at the Mumbai franchise team in the Indian T20 League and for the Indian cricket team, given he has scored 2505 runs in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 143.71.    

Shreyas Iyer (2019)

The city of Mumbai is one of the biggest hubs for cricket talents, and a certain Shreyas Iyer has taken quality strides towards being an up-and-coming superstar.

Following senior counterparts Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, Iyer has risen through the ranks to lead Mumbai and is their third-highest run-getter in the T20 format - 1103 runs in 37 matches. The 26-year-old had already generated headlines for leading his side to the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, and his dominant innings against Sikkim in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2019 broke not one but three records in succession.

Ajinkya Rahane and Prithvi Shaw, who opened in the fixture, were dismissed, and the onus fell upon Shreyas Iyer to help the team post a defendable score. The top-order batsman joined forces with Suryakumar Yadav and stitched a 213-run partnership. Iyer, batting with a composed mind, reached his century in just 38 balls before being dismissed for 147 runs (55 deliveries).

At the time of his dismissal, Shreyas Iyer notched the highest individual score by an Indian in T20s and the 12th highest score by a batsman in the T20 cricket history.

Iyer’s development has been a start-and-stop record, but given the buckets of potential in him, onlookers and former cricketers have tipped him to be the fixed answer to the number four conundrum. 

Mohammed Azharuddeen (2021)

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has always treated fans to special surprises, and the emergence of Mohammed Azharuddeen has now taken the country by storm.

The 26-year-old, who has featured 22 times for Kerala, showcased glimpses of his namesake �?Mohammed Azharuddin�?against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium with nine fours and six sixes in his 54-ball knock of 137*. 

I had seen an extraordinary player called Mohd Azharuddin many years ago. Now I am seeing another by the same name. Wow, he can play some shots!

�?Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 13, 2021

A wicketkeeper-batsman, Azharuddeen helped his team chase down Mumbai's target of 196 within 15.5 overs. His century off 37 balls is the second-fastest in the competition’s history, and the third joint-fastest T20 hundred by an Indian batsman.

Azharuddeen's spectacular knock has now put him in the spotlight, with a host of prominent cricket figures now pushing for him to have a shot in the Indian T20 League. The 26-year-old forged comfortable partnerships with Robin Uthappa (33) and Sanju Samson (22) to cause one of the biggest upsets in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and he is eager to carry the momentum as Kerala progress through the tournament. 

Featured image courtesy: Twitter / @BCCIdomestic

Defending champions Karnataka will lock horns with Jammu and Kashmir on the opening day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 (SMAT) on January 10 at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy returns after almost nine months of hiatus, which makes this year’s edition all more special. Apart from being played amidst the ongoing pandemic, all eyes will be on the comeback man, S. Sreesanth, who will be plying his trade with Kerala.

The 12th edition of the competition will be played between 38 teams - divided between six groups; five Elite groups and one Plate group - across six different venues in the group stage - Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara, Indore, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu. The competition will then move to Ahmedabad for the knockout round before it reaches its conclusion on January 31.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 will see a plethora of Indian talents, and one can rightly expect a few to be a part of India’s T20I series against England in March, if not for the 2020 T20 World Cup. 

Date and Day	Group	Match	Time (IST)	Venue
January 10, Sunday	Elite A	Karnataka vs J&K	12:00 PM	Alur
January 10, Sunday	Elite A	Punjab vs Uttar Pradesh	12:00 PM	Alur
January 10, Sunday	Elite A	Railways vs Tripura	12:00 PM	Alur
January 10, Sunday	Elite B	Bengal vs Odisha	12:00 PM	Kolkata
January 10, Sunday	Elite B	Jharkhand vs Tamil Nadu*	12:00 PM	Kolkata
January 10, Sunday	Elite C	Gujarat vs Maharashtra	12:00 PM	Vadodara
January 10, Sunday	Elite C	Chhatisgarh vs Himachal Pradesh	12:00 PM	Vadodara
January 10, Sunday	Elite C	Baroda vs Uttarakhand	12:00 PM	Vadodara
January 10, Sunday	Elite B	Assam vs Hyderabad *	7:00 PM	Kolkata

(Note: Matches in '*' will broadcast on Star Sports Network)

You can get the full schedule of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 here.

So as we approach the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 starting date, here are all the telecast details that you need to know.

When and where to watch Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 in India?

Star Sports network has acquired the broadcasting rights of SMAT 2021, and you can catch the action live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD with options to enjoy the tournament in multiple languages. Note that the games have been scheduled to start from 12:00 PM IST and 7:00 PM IST.

Note that Star Sports will only telecast the matches scheduled at two specific venues �?the Eden Gardens and the Wankhede Stadium. Only Group B and Group E matches are scheduled at these stadiums.

SportsAdda will bring you the live score of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021.

Live streaming of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 season will be on Disney+Hotstar.

One of the most anticipated domestic T20 cricket tournaments in India, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy marks its return after a long nine-month wait when it kicks off on January 10. The 2021 edition is set to see some of the finest Indian talents of the shortest format taking the centre stage in a 38-team event which will be played across Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara, Indore, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu in the group-stage. The competition will then move to Ahmedabad for the knockout round.

Defending champions Karnataka, whose roster boasts of some real match-winners, will take the field against Jammu and Kashmir in the inaugural game. Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy provides the players a perfect stage to lay a foundation, and like every other year, there are a few who will be under the spotlight. Here we throw a beam on three of them:

Devdutt Padikkal - Karnataka

Young and adroit, top-order batsman Devdutt Padikkal was instrumental in Karnataka’s success in the 2019/20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, topping the run-scoring chart by quite a margin, accumulating 580 runs at an average of 64.44 and a strike rate of 175.75. Once again under the scanner, the 20-year-old is coming at the back of an exhilarating stint in the Indian T20 League and will once again look to leave a positive mark as the 2021 T20 World Cup looms. He will arguably be the one to keep a keen eye on.

Suryakumar Yadav - Mumbai

The captain of Mumbai team, Suryakumar Yadav was the third-highest run-scorer in the previous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 392 runs in 11 matches at an average and strike rate of 56.00 and 168.96 respectively. Yadav’s stocks rose so significantly in the Indian T20 League 2020 that he missed out on his maiden national team call for the Australia T20I series only by a whisker. Another such performance in the upcoming tournament and the selectors will be forced to at least consider him for the T20I series against England, which begins shortly after the conclusion of the competition.

Ravi Bishnoi -  Rajasthan

Playing in his first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, 20-year-old Ravi Bishnoi is no stranger to big games, having performed exceptionally well in the 2020 Indian T20 League for Punjab, picking 12 wickets during the tournament. Bishnoi rose into the province after topping the wicket-taking tally with 17 scalps during the ICC Under 19 World Cup last year. It was after this performance that he got his maiden Indian T20 League contract and he went on to play all of Punjab’s 14 games in the competition. Now turning up for Rajasthan, Bishnoi will once again look to assert an authority to soar his reputation even further.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @devdpd07

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy ended on Sunday with Karnataka clinching the title after a thrilling final against Tamil Nadu to win a second-consecutive domestic final after their triumph against the same opponents in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in October.

While the likes of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Manish Pandey rightly made the headlines for shuffling international and domestic duties, some youngsters had prolific runs and played key parts in their team’s run to the latter stages of the tournament. 

Let’s have a look at the best young performers of the tournament:

Devdutt Padikkal

The Karnataka opener has made a name for himself in the domestic season so far, shining in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, even ending up as the highest run-scorer in both the tournaments. It is no coincidence that Karnataka won both tournaments.

Padikkal’s left-handed elegance and the way he quickly latches on to the length of the ball makes him an exciting talent and probably is the reason why the Bengaluru-based franchise in the Indian T20 League decided to retain the 19-year-old in the squad for 2020.

It will be interesting to see how well he does in the longest format when Karnataka begin their Ranji Trophy campaign next week against Tamil Nadu.

Read | What India’s starting XI could look like in the first West Indies T20

R Sai Kishore

Tamil Nadu made it to both the finals and they may have uncovered a gem in R Sai Kishore. The left-arm off-spinner varied his lengths, bowled in the right areas and took advantage of spin-friendly wickets to help himself to a haul of 20 wickets to end up as the highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.

The 23-year-old used his tall frame to perfection and his intelligent variations belied his age. He seems to have benefitted from the presence of a senior spinner like Ravichandran Ashwin in the squad and may have done enough to earn big bucks in the Indian T20 League auctions to be held this month.

Rohan Kadam

This name has been doing the rounds in Karnataka domestic circles for the last couple of years, but Rohan Kadam came into his own in the Syed Mushtaq Ali with a consistent run of scores.

In Karnataka’s victorious campaign, Kadam hit three fifties, one of them an important 47-ball 71 to rescue his team from a tricky position to a big score against Mumbai. Of course, the latter ended up winning due to Suryakumar Yadav’s heroics but it showed his ability to adjust and pace his innings according to the situation.

He also gave company to skipper Manish Pandey in the final against Tamil Nadu, playing an important innings of 35 against a bowling which clearly looked to dominate proceedings only to be nullified.

Darshan Nalkande

Vidarbha may not have progressed too far in the tournament, but a 21-year-old kid certainly left his mark for the current Ranji champions. Darshan Nalkande picked up 16 wickets in just six games to end up as the fifth-highest wicket-taker and he did at an average of 9.94.

That wicket tally included a fifer, the first in his career, against Uttar Pradesh, wiping out the tail and helping his side to victory. The only negative of his campaign was his economy rate- he gave away too many runs when not picking wickets but with the right training, he can be the next generation of the pace battery of India.

Nalkande is a part of the Punjab side in the Indian T20 League and a good performance there could catapult him to the big stages soon.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @BCCIdomestic