Any chances for Rajat Patidar to lead the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)? Well, that is a far-fetched debate but as of now, the INR 11 crore RCB retained player will lead his state franchise, Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
‘Captain’ Rajat Patidar
Patidar will lead a star-studded Madhya Pradesh team, which includes notable players like Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, and Harpreet Singh. The team has yet to win the SMAT championship, adding extra motivation for Patidar’s leadership, who was part of MP’s Ranji Trophy winning team in the 2021/22 season. The tournament kicks off on Saturday, November 23, with Madhya Pradesh facing Mizoram in their opening match.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a marquee domestic T20 cricket championship. Since its inaugural edition in the 2006-07 season, which was won by Dinesh Karthik’s Tamil Nadu, the tournament has been a crucial platform for emerging cricket talent. Punjab enters the 2024 edition as the defending champions. Many IPL scouts and managements eye this tournament in order to zero in on superb, talented future superstars.
Incredibly, the news comes on the same day after former RCB legend Robin Uthappa put his thoughts forward on Rajat Patidar possibly being RCB’s new captain ahead of IPL 2025. He reasoned that RCB have invested in him and could lead the franchise for next 2-3 seasons. While this is highly unlikely, it goes to show the huge talent and temperament that Patidar possesses.
Madhya Pradesh squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy ft. Rajat Patidar
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Arpit Gaud
- Harpreet Singh
- Subhranshu Senapati
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Avesh Khan
- Kumar Kartikeya
- Kulwant Khejroliya
- Rahul Batham
- Abhishek Pathak
- Pankaj Sharma
- Shivam Shukla
- Kamal Tripathi
- Tripuresh Singh
- Vikas Sharma
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