Maharashtra squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Why Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prithvi Shaw are making all the noise?
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw have been making all the noise since Maharashtra announced their 18-member quad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2026-27 a day ago. A former champion (2009-10 season), Maharashtra will play all their group stage games in Mohali and New Chandigarh from November 14 to 26.
However, while announcing their squad, Maharashtra have not formally named any captain for the competition. As things stand, both Shaw and Ruturaj are captaincy materials and have led the state side before. Shaw led Maharashtra recently in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2026-27, where they defeated Bengal in an away encounter at Eden Gardens.
Placed in Elite Group C, Maharashtra start their SMAT campaign against Puducherry in Mohali on November 14, before meeting Kerala in New Chandigarh on November 16. Maharashtra will then take on Himachal Pradesh in New Chandigarh on November 18.
They face Assam on November 20 before taking on Madhya Pradesh on November 22, Tripura on November 24 and Andhra on November 26.
Who will lead Maharashtra at SMAT?
In all likelyhood, Shaw will be leading Maharashtra in at least the first match against Puducherry. Ruturaj, who is also the captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is currently in New Zealand with the Indian team for the ongoing ODI series.
The ODI series concludes in November 15 in Mount Maunganui, following which Ruturaj will be able to join the Maharashtra squad at SMAT. The squad also includes batters include Rahul Tripathi, Sahil Parakh and Siddhesh Veer and batting all-rounder Arshin Kulkarni.
Left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary, who was a part of the India A squad against New Zealand A, will join his teammates soon and is expected to be available from the first game. Left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal will play a vital role in the middle overs. The squad also includes Suraj Shinde, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Tanay Sanghvi, Kiran Chormale, Ranjit Nikam, Pradeep Dadhe, Rushikesh Sonavne, Vivek Shelar, Hitesh Walunj and Prashant Solanki.
For Ghosh, he is making a comeback to competitive cricket after a foot fracture cut short his CSK journey in IPL 2026. Meanwhile, the SMAT 2026-27 will serve as a platform for many Indian uncapped cricketers to showcase their talent, ahead of the IPL 2027 auction in December.
Maharashtra squad for SMAT 2026-27
Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshin Kulkarni, Sahil Parakh, Rahul Tripathi, Suraj Shinde, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Tanay Sanghvi, Vicky Ostwal, Kiran Chormale, Ranjit Nikam, Pradeep Dadhe, Rushikesh Sonavne, Vivek Shelar, Hitesh Walunj, Prashant Solanki, and Siddhesh Veer.
