The Karnataka State Cricket Association has announced its squad for the first three matches of the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). For the 2026-27 SMAT, the state cricket board has made multiple changes in their squad, in comparison to their squad for the previous season.

For the first three matches of the 2026-27 SMAT campaign, Karnataka has named Smaran Ravichandran as their skipper in the presence of senior cricketers like Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, and Luvnith Sisodia. But there is no Devdutt Padikkal.

Karnataka announces 2026-27 SMAT squad only for the first three matches

The Karnataka State Cricket Association confirmed its team on November 6. It is worth remembering that the squad will be valid for the first three matches only. After that, the state cricket governing body could make some changes to the squad.

While Smaran Ravichandran has been appointed as the captain, Vinay Kumar will guide the team as the head coach, with Deepak Chougule as the assistant coach.

The squad Karnataka has announced is filled with multiple well-known batters across the departments. Smaran Ravichandran himself will have to play a big role in the tournament as he can play the anchor role, accompanied by the seasoned campaigner Karun Nair, while batters like Manish Pandey and Abhinav Manohar will bring the extra firepower in their batting line-up.

Why is Devdutt Padikkal not in the squad?

Devdutt Padikkal is probably the biggest name missing from the squad. The versatile batter is currently in New Zealand for the upcoming Test series. Padikkal is currently preparing for the two-match Test series, which is scheduled to start on November 19 and will officially come to an end on December 1.

After the conclusion of the India vs New Zealand bilateral series, Devdutt Padikkal could join the state team for the domestic matches. Needless to say, if he joins the team, Karnataka's batting prowess will be increased to a great extent.

Karnataka Squad for the first three matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27:

Rohan A Patil, Luvnith Sisodia (WK), Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Smaran R (Captain), Abhinav Manohar, Shikhar Shetty, Manvanth Kumar L, Pravin Dubey, Vyshak V, Vidwath Kaverappa, Abhilash Shetty, Shrijith KL (WK), Aneeshwar Gautam, Ritesh Bhatkal.

ಸೈಯದ್ ಮುಷ್ತಾಕ್ ಅಲಿ ಟ್ರೋಫಿಗೆ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ತಂಡ: #SMAT https://t.co/qLlA3sWmRU

— Karnataka Sports Fans (@karnataka_sport) November 6, 2026

Karnataka could go long in 2026-27 SMAT tournament

In the previous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season, Karnataka made a promising start in their group stage. Under the leadership of Mayank Yadav, they dominated the group stage with the help of Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal, Shreyas Gopal, Abhinav Manohar, Vidwath Kaverappa and Vijaykumar Vyshak, but were knocked out in the Super League rounds. They advanced deep into the tournament, but they were not good enough to win the trophy.

In this year's squad too, dependable bowlers like Kaverappa and Vyshak will be on the ground to support the team from the beginning. In the absence of Devdutt Padikkal, the rest of the batters will have to carry extra responsibilities. With this team, Karnataka could travel a long way in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27 season.

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