4 popular players who are not part of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022

It is common to witness state cricket associations drop players based on their performances irrespective of their reputation. Also, there could be other reasons for a cricketer to not take part in an event. On that note, in this article, we take a look at four popular players who are not part of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has become important for players for more than one reason. While it gives them a chance to get close to India, a decent show in SMAT is a must for an IPL contract. The auction for the next season is likely to happen in December. However, a few cricketers could lose their contracts since they will not play SMAT 2022. We take a look at their names below.

1) Karun Nair (Karnataka)

Karun Nair is one of the popular players who are not part of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022. Not just the final squad but Karun was excluded from the list of probables for the tournament. The chief selector mentioned that the state has decided to move on without Karun in the T20 format for now. The cricketer has a contract with Rajasthan Royals but could not get a lot of chances. However, RR might still retain him because of the talent he possesses. It now needs to be seen how Karnataka would perform in Karun's absence.

2) Vijay Shankar (Tamil Nadu)

While Vijay Shankar is injured, there is also a narrative that he has been dropped from the Tamil Nadu squad. The cricketer has been in poor form but did well in the previous edition alongside captaining the team. Now, Baba Aparajith will lead the squad and TN has included a slew of youngsters in the squad. Vijay could also be released by Gujarat Titans, which will further add pressure on him. 

3) Kedar Jadhav (Maharashtra)

Kedar Jadhav is also one of the popular players who are not part of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022. The Indian cricketer missed out on an IPL contract for the 2022 edition. At the moment, there is no news about him and the Maharashtra squad does not include his name. Yes, Kedar Jadhav is on the wrong side of the spectrum of age but he can still push for an IPL opportunity because of his experience and skills.

4) Saurabh Tiwary (Jharkhand)

Saurabh Tiwary is a veteran of the domestic circuit but his name is not in the Jharkhand squad for SMAT 2022. It is not sure if he is injured. Saurabh did well recently and as a left-handed middle-order batter, his role would be crucial for the team. Therefore, it looks like it could be an injury issue for the former RCB and Mumbai Indians cricketer.