Rajat Patidar has been appointed captain of Madhya Pradesh for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2026, with the state cricket association announcing
a 15-member squad for the domestic T20 competition beginning November 14.
Madhya Pradesh have been placed in Elite Group C and will play their first four league matches in New Chandigarh before moving to Mohali for their remaining three fixtures.
Patidar's appointment comes after his successful leadership stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), whom he guided to consecutive IPL titles in 2025 and 2026. However, the Madhya Pradesh skipper could miss part of the tournament due to his commitments with the India A team.
Patidar and left-arm pace-bowling all-rounder Arshad Khan are expected to join India A for the Men's Rising Stars Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from November 19 to 29. Patidar has also been named vice-captain of the India A side, which will be led by Tilak Varma.
If Patidar leaves the Madhya Pradesh camp after their November 16 fixture against Assam, the team management, headed by Chandrakant Pandit, will have to appoint a stand-in captain for the remaining matches.
Avesh Khan to Lead Madhya Pradesh's Bowling Attack
India fast bowler Avesh Khan is among the prominent names in the Madhya Pradesh squad and is expected to spearhead the team's pace attack.
The bowling unit also features Mangesh Yadav, Tripuresh Singh, Rahul Batham and Shivam Shukla. In the spin department, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Saransh Jain and Shivang Kumar have been included.
Madhya Pradesh have selected two wicketkeepers, Harsh Gawli and Apoorv Dwivedi, for the competition.
In the batting department, Patidar will have the support of Akshat Raghuwanshi, Aniket Verma and Ritik Tada. Gawli will also be expected to contribute with the bat.
Madhav Tiwari Misses Out, Kuldeep Sen Unavailable
One of the notable omissions from the Madhya Pradesh squad is seam-bowling all-rounder Madhav Tiwari. Despite featuring for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026 and representing Ujjain Falcons in the Madhya Pradesh League T20 Scindia Cup 2026, Tiwari has failed to secure a place in the 15-member squad. Fast bowler Kuldeep Sen is another notable absentee. He has not been selected as he is currently dealing with an injury.
Madhya Pradesh Full Squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026
Ankush Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Harsh Gawli (wk), Rajat Patidar (captain), Aniket Verma, Ritik Tada, Apoorv Dwivedi (wk), Saransh Jain, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Shivam Shukla, Shivang Kumar, Avesh Khan, Tripuresh Singh, Rahul Batham and Mangesh Yadav.
