How did top IPL stars perform in SMAT 2025?

Jharkhand won SMAT 2025 by defeating Haryana in the final.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) is a crucial T20 tournament in India’s domestic circuit. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organizes this tournament every year. All the domestic state teams clash in the tournament, playing nail-biting games against each other.

This year, Jharkhand won SMAT 2025 by defeating Haryana in the final by 69 runs. A total of 38 domestic teams participated in this tournament, and 125 matches were played. Many players from domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) participated in the SMAT 2025, and a few of them also made a mark with their performances.

The significant point is that preparations for IPL 2026 have already begun with the recently concluded mini-auction, in which 10 IPL teams purchased a total of 77 players. A few IPL stars impressed with their performances, while some others struggled to make a mark.

1. Ishan Kishan

Wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan, who has been retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2026, was a stand-out performer in SMAT 2025.

With 517 runs in 10 games at an average of 57.44, Kishan finished as the highest run-scorer in the tournament, slamming two centuries and an equal number of half-centuries. He played a vital role in Jharkhand’s journey to the final.

2. Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane, who has been retained by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for IPL 2026, was another impressive batter with 391 runs in 10 games. Devdutt Padikkal, who represents RCB in IPL, finished as Karnataka’s second-highest run-scorer, slamming 309 runs in six games at an average of 61.80.

3. Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma, who represents SRH in IPL, played just six games for Punjab but scored 304 runs at an average of 51.0. RR’s Yashasvi Jaiswal featured in only three games for Mumbai, hitting 145 runs at an average of 48.33, including one ton.

4. Anshul Kamboj

Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj, who impressed with his performance for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025 and made his international debut this year, clinched 21 scalps in 11 games at an average of 17.66. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in SMAT.

5. Yash Thakur

Pacer Yash Thakur finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in SMAT 2025 with 18 wickets and was Vidarbha’s leading wicket-taker. He has been retained by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the next IPL season.

6. Mohammed Shami

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami ended as the highest wicket-taker for Bengal with 16 scalps. He had a dismal season in IPL 2025 with SRH and will join a new franchise, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in the next edition. He was traded from SRH to LSG ahead of the mini-auction for a whopping amount of INR 10 crore.

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