Chennai, Nov 26 (LatestNewsX) – The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) announced on Wednesday that star India batter Sai Sudharsan will join the senior squad for the current Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) in Ahmedabad, a move that promises to give the team a much‑needed lift after a sluggish opening to the season.
After a modest debut series, scoring 15 and 14 against a challenging side and ending with a 408‑run loss, the 24‑year‑old, who was part of India’s most recent Test defeat in Guwahati that sealed the 0‑2 series expense to South Africa, comes back to domestic T20 duty. His slow knock of 14 off 139 balls against the touring South Africans – the second‑slowest innings in India’s Test history since 100 deliveries – now places him as a potential catalyst for the line‑up.
The decision comes at a time when Tamil Nadu’s batting looks inexperienced, especially after the 6‑wicket loss to Rajasthan that opened their Group D campaign. Bringing in Sudharsan, a left‑hander whose T20 reputation was built in Ahmedabad during his standout opener role for the Gujarat Titans, could provide the early momentum the side needs.
In the 2025 IPL, Sudharsan finished as the Orange Cap winner, compiling 759 runs in 15 matches at a strike‑rate of 156.17, a performance that Tamil Nadu hopes he can replicate during the SMAT.
The national T20 tournament features six emerging teams—Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur—in a plate division that runs parallel to the elite 32‑team competition. These sides compete not only for plate honours but also for promotion to the top tier. Mizoram is set to face Nagaland in the first match of the plate bracket in Pune.
Final Tamil Nadu squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
- Varun Chakravarthy (captain)
- Narayan Jagadeesan (vice‑captain, wicket‑keeper)
- Tushar Raheja (wicket‑keeper)
- VP Amit Sathvik
- M. Shahrukh Khan
- Andre Siddarth
- Pradosh Ranjan Paul
- Shivam Singh
- R Sai Kishore
- M Siddharth
- T Natarajan
- Gurjapneet Singh
- A Esakkimuthu
- R Sonu Yadav
- R Silambarasan
- S Rithik Easwaran (wicket‑keeper)
- Sai Sudharsan
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