India National Cricket Team opening batter Sanju Samson was hoping for a fresh start in domestic cricket, but his struggles with the bat continued in the opening game of the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026.

The Kerala captain could face only three balls before returning to the dressing room in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 clash against Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, November 14 at the PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Madhya Pradesh bowlers rock Kerala in SMAT 2026

After winning the toss, the Kerala cricket team captain Sanju Samson has decided to bat first against the Madhya Pradesh cricket team in the Elite Group C match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 at the PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

However, Kerala had a poor start, as they lost three wickets for 30 runs in the powerplay against Madhya Pradesh. The mini batting collapse started with the captain’s wicket for just four runs, followed by Ahammed Imran (1) and Mohammed Azharuddeen (10).

Avesh Khan cleans up Sanju Samson

Madhya Pradesh pacer Avesh Khan dismissed Sanju Samson in the second over of the innings. Samson tried to defend a back-of-a-length delivery that moved sharply into him, but the ball took an inside edge and crashed into his middle stump.

Avesh was delighted with the breakthrough as Kerala lost an important batter early in the match. Following the Indian wicketkeeper’s dismissal, Tripuresh Singh put Kerala under pressure by removing Imran and Azharuddeen cheaply in the ongoing SMAT 2026 clash.

Samson returned to domestic cricket after the New Zealand tour with the aim of getting back among the runs while leading Kerala. But his first SMAT outing has brought more disappointment. The Kerala star will now be eager to deliver strong performances in the remaining matches.

Sanju Samson's inconsistent form raises concerns

Sanju Samson's poor Kerala comeback was disappointing as he also failed to make an impact in the recent five-match T20I series in New Zealand. In his last 10 T20I innings, the right-handed batter scored 275 runs at an average of 27.50 with the help of three half-centuries.

However, six of Samson’s innings ended with scores below 20. The Kerala star had a great start to the New Zealand tour, having smashed 67 off just 33 balls in Christchurch on October 22, but then he managed only 40 runs in those four T20I games, with scores of 14, 18, 4, and 4.

Before the New Zealand tour, Samson played attacking cricket against the West Indies in the home series. The right-hander scored 82 off 41 balls in Ranchi and 56 off 23 balls in Hyderabad. However, he also had scores of 3, 16, and 11 during that West Indies series.

Andhra, Himachal and Puducherry begin Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 campaigns with impressive wins

From the Group C, Andhra, Himachal Pradesh, and Puducherry have kicked off their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 campaign in a stunning fashion. While Andhra registered a 43-run win over Tripura, Himachal Pradesh thrashed Assam by 16 runs via the VJD method, and Puducherry began the tournament with a 15-run victory over Maharashtra.