Perfect platform to catch the eye of IPL scouts
The Hindu
The tournament, which begins on Thursday, will serve as a memorial to Avi Barot
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), which commences on Thursday, is timed perfectly to give cricketers the chance to grab the attention of IPL teams ahead of the mega auction.
The first tournament of the 2021-22 domestic calendar season features 38 teams, split into five Elite groups and one Plate group. Group matches will be held in six centres — Lucknow, Guwahati, Baroda, Delhi, Haryana and Vijayawada — while all knockout matches will be held at Delhi.
Standout performers in this 19-day tournament are sure to attract the attention of IPL scouts. Venkatesh Iyer (Madhya Pradesh and Kolkata Knight Riders), Shahrukh Khan (Tamil Nadu and Punjab Kings), Chetan Sakariya (Saurashtra and Rajasthan Royals) and Mohammed Azharuddeen (Kerala and Royal Challengers Bangalore) are some of the players who have used this tournament recently as a springboard to grab IPL contracts.