Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021/22 came to a thrilling finish after Tamil Nadu beat Karnataka off the final ball to clinch the trophy. Let’s take a look at the XI made up of the finest performers from the tournament.

Tanmay Agarwal

Runs 334, Avg 55.66, HS 97*, S/R 148.44

The Hyderabad skipper opens Wisden’s SMAT XI. He was the highest run-scorer in the tournament, and got those runs at a brisk pace. Along with Tilak Varma, he helped Hyderabad to good starts in the tournament. His 35-ball 55 helped Hyderabad to a two-wicket win in a crucial contest against Saurashtra, and his 46-ball 62 on a tricky wicket helped Hyderabad beat Uttar Pradesh.

Tilak Varma

Runs 215, Avg 35.83, HS 75, S/R 147.26

Hyderabad’s number three failed to get going in the SMAT semi-final against Tamil Nadu, but was instrumental in his side’s success through the tournament. The left-hander led his team’s charge in the quarter-finals scoring a 50 ball-75 against Gujarat. He also showed that he could play the anchor in trying circumstances while lifting his scoring rates when needed in a quick chase.

Deepak Hooda

Runs 294, Avg 73.5, HS 75*, S/R 168

The former Baroda all-rounder was in great form for Rajasthan, scoring his 294 runs off mere 175 balls in the tournament. Among his special knocks included a 47-ball 75 against a Haryana attack featuring four international bowlers, and a 36-ball 70 against Himachal Pradesh. He blasted 17 sixes and 23 fours in the tournament, making a good case for himself in the India T20 setup.

Abhinav Manohar

Runs 162, Avg 54, HS 70*, S/R 150

The Karnataka batter made his T20 debut in the SMAT preliminary quarter-final against Saurashtra, and ended up winning the game for his side with a penultimate ball six. He scored an unbeaten 49-ball 70 in the game. He  was a crucial performer for the Karnataka side in the middle-order for the rest of the tournament, and scored a 37-ball 46 in the final against Tamil Nadu.

Vishnu Vinod

Runs 145, Avg 145, HS 65*, S/R 162.92

The Kerala batter didn’t get many opportunities with the bat but was impressive in crucial games. His two defining knocks came in lost causes, a 43-ball 62 against Railways, and a brilliant 26-ball 65 against Tamil Nadu. The latter nearly ensured a semi-final spot for Kerala before Shahrukh Khan took the game away with his brutal hitting.

Abdul Samad

Runs 127, Avg 42.33, HS 55, S/R 160.75

The Jammu and Kashmir player was in top form during the SMAT 2021/22. Even when not playing for the strongest of sides, he was at the centre of a number of eye-catching cameos against better teams. His 32-ball 55 nearly took his team to a win against Himachal Pradesh, while his 27-ball 40 against Rajasthan kept Jammu and Kashmir in the game before Deepak Hooda took it away with his 28-ball 50.

Shahrukh Khan

Runs 101, Avg 33.66, HS 33*, S/R 157.81

The Tamil Nadu star’s 15-ball 33 was the knock of the tournament. He took the game away from Karnataka’s clutches off the final ball. Tamil Nadu needed five to win the trophy, and Shahrukh slammed a six to win it. As stated above, he also had a crucial role to play in their quarter-final win against Kerala, where he scored nine-ball 19 to win the game.

Akshay Karnewar

Runs 59, S/R 140.47, Wickets 13, Avg 10.69, Econ 4.34

The ambidextrous bowler wasn’t easy to score against. He was prolific during the group stage matches, but also delivered in the knock-out games. He took 2-25 against Maharashtra in the preliminary quarter-final, and a parsimonious 1-7 against Rajasthan in the quarter-final. He was taken for runs against Karnataka in the semi-final, but fought back with the bat, and his 12-ball 22 nearly won the game for Vidarbha.

Darshan Nalkande

Wickets 13, Avg 11.76, BBI 5-9, Econ 5.88

The Vidarbha seamer took a five-for in his very first game against Arunachal, and bowled with control in every game. He took a 1-8 against Rajasthan in the quarter-final, and took a double hat-trick against Karnataka in the semi-finals.

CV Milind

Wickets 18, Avg 11.61, BBI 5-8, Econ 8.41

The Hyderabad left-arm bowler took the most wickets in the tournament. Although a bit expensive, the bowler took two five-wicket hauls including a 5-8 against Uttar Pradesh at Sultanpur. He also got the crucial wicket of Ripal Patel in the quarter-final clash between Gujarat and Hyderabad.

R Sai Kishore

Wickets 10, Avg 19.4, BBI 4-28, Econ 6.06

The Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner impressed one and all with his control. He came to his own in the knock-out stage. He took 3-12 in the final against Karnataka in the SMAT finals, and was fittingly unbeaten at the other end when Shahrukh Khan hit the winning runs off the last ball.

Wisden’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021/22 XI

Tanmay Agarwal
Tilak Varma
Deepak Hooda
Abhinav Manohar
Vishnu Vinod
Abdul Samad
M Shahrukh Khan
Akshay Karnewar
Darshan Nalkande
CV Milind
R Sai Kishore