The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 teams list includes 38 state and institutional associations competing in India’s marquee domestic Twenty20 competition. Administered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the championship brings together India’s established international stars, seasoned domestic pros, and emerging IPL prodigies.
The 38 participating teams are categorized into five Elite Groups (Groups A, B, C, D, and E). Below is the comprehensive guide to participating squads, star players, team captains, coaches, and championship records.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 Tournament Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 (SMAT 2026) |
| Total Teams | 38 Domestic State Associations |
| Number of Groups | 5 Elite Groups (Groups A, B, C, D, E) |
| League Matches per Team | 7 Matches in Single Round-Robin |
| Defending Champion | Punjab |
| Most Successful Team | Tamil Nadu (3 Titles) |
| Governing Body | BCCI |
| Knockout Qualifiers | Top 2 from each group advance |
Complete List of Participating Teams by Group
| Group | Participating Teams | Host City Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Group A | Mumbai, Baroda, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Chandigarh | Mumbai |
| Group B | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, Railways, Tripura, Services | Bengaluru |
| Group C | Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Saurashtra, Gujarat, Andhra, Himachal Pradesh, Goa | Mohali |
| Group D | Bengal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Uttarakhand, Pondicherry | Kolkata |
| Group E | Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur | Rajkot |
In-Depth Team Profiles & Contenders
1. Mumbai
Mumbai enters the tournament as one of the perennial heavyweights. With a championship victory in the 2022-23 season, Mumbai boasts unparalleled batting depth and a contingent of IPL match-winners.
| Metric | Information |
|---|---|
| Captain | Shreyas Iyer / Ajinkya Rahane |
| Head Coach | Omkar Salvi |
| Home Ground | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Titles Won | 1 Title (2022-23) |
| Key Star Players | Shivam Dube, Prithvi Shaw, Shams Mulani, Tushar Deshpande, Tanush Kotian |
| Team Strengths | Aggressive middle-order boundary-hitters and experienced spin all-rounders |
2. Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is the most decorated team in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history, having captured the crown three times (2006-07, 2020-21, 2021-22). Their clinical consistency in domestic white-ball cricket is legendary.
| Metric | Information |
|---|---|
| Captain | Shahrukh Khan / N. Jagadeesan |
| Head Coach | Sulakshan Kulkarni |
| Home Ground | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Titles Won | 3 Titles (Tournament Record) |
| Key Star Players | Sai Sudharsan, Varun Chakravarthy, T. Natarajan, Washington Sundar, R. Sai Kishore |
| Team Strengths | World-class mystery spin attack, death-over yorker specialists, and ice-cool finishers |
3. Punjab
Punjab arrives as the defending champions after an unforgettable run where their explosive opening pair and lethal left-arm pacers swept away opposition lineups.
| Metric | Information |
|---|---|
| Captain | Mandeep Singh / Abhishek Sharma |
| Head Coach | Aavishkar Salvi |
| Home Ground | PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Titles Won | 1 Title (Defending Champions) |
| Key Star Players | Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Siddharth Kaul |
| Team Strengths | Explosive top-order powerplay hitting and elite left-arm pace bowling at the death |
4. Karnataka
Two-time champions Karnataka (2018-19, 2019-20) represent one of the most balanced white-ball outfits in Indian cricket, combining veteran top-order anchors with high-pace fast bowlers.
| Metric | Information |
|---|---|
| Captain | Mayank Agarwal |
| Head Coach | P.V. Shashikanth |
| Home Ground | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Titles Won | 2 Titles (2018-19, 2019-20) |
| Key Star Players | Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna, Manish Pandey, Vijaykumar Vyshak, K. Gowtham |
| Team Strengths | Classy top-order run-accumulators and sharp, hit-the-deck pace bowlers |
5. Baroda
Two-time champions (2011-12, 2013-14) and finalists last year, Baroda plays a fearsome brand of modern T20 cricket powered by versatile seam-bowling all-rounders.
| Metric | Information |
|---|---|
| Captain | Krunal Pandya |
| Head Coach | Mukul Choudhari |
| Home Ground | Reliance Stadium / Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara |
| Titles Won | 2 Titles (2011-12, 2013-14) |
| Key Star Players | Hardik Pandya, Vishnu Solanki, Atit Sheth, Lukman Meriwala, Ninad Rathva |
| Team Strengths | Exceptional clutch mentality, big-game experience, and premier all-round balance |
6. Delhi
The 2017-18 champions Delhi are famed for producing fearless, boundary-clearing stroke-makers and express pace bowlers who excel in the shortest format.
| Metric | Information |
|---|---|
| Captain | Yash Dhull / Nitish Rana |
| Head Coach | Devang Gandhi |
| Home Ground | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| Titles Won | 1 Title (2017-18) |
| Key Star Players | Ayush Badoni, Navdeep Saini, Harshit Rana, Lalit Yadav, Himmat Singh |
| Team Strengths | Young fearlessness, high strike-rate lower-order batting, and express 145+ km/h pace |
All-Time Championship Roll of Honour
| Season | Champion | Runner-Up | Final Margin | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Punjab | Baroda | Won by 20 runs | PCA Stadium, Mohali |
| 2022-23 | Mumbai | Himachal Pradesh | Won by 3 wickets | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 2021-22 | Tamil Nadu | Karnataka | Won by 4 wickets | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 2020-21 | Tamil Nadu | Baroda | Won by 7 wickets | Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| 2019-20 | Karnataka | Tamil Nadu | Won by 1 run | Surat Cricket Stadium |
| 2018-19 | Karnataka | Maharashtra | Won by 8 wickets | Holkar Stadium, Indore |
| 2017-18 | Delhi | Rajasthan | Won by 41 runs | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 2016-17 | East Zone | Central Zone | Round-robin | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 2015-16 | Uttar Pradesh | Baroda | Won by 38 runs | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 2014-15 | Gujarat | Punjab | Won by 2 wickets | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad |
| 2013-14 | Baroda | Uttar Pradesh | Won by 3 runs | JSCA Stadium, Ranchi |
| 2012-13 | Gujarat | Punjab | Round-robin | Holkar Stadium, Indore |
| 2011-12 | Baroda | Punjab | Won by 8 runs | Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai |
| 2010-11 | Bengal | Madhya Pradesh | Won by 1 run | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 2009-10 | Maharashtra | Hyderabad | Won by 19 runs | Holkar Stadium, Indore |
| 2006-07 | Tamil Nadu | Punjab | Won by 2 wickets | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai |
Tournament Squad Composition & Eligibility Guidelines
Each state association can register a squad of 15 to 20 players under BCCI domestic eligibility guidelines. Participating teams are permitted to field up to three guest/outstation players who meet the BCCI domestic transfer protocols. All players must be registered through their state cricket association with verified age and identity documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many teams participate in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026?
38 domestic state teams participate in the competition, representing state cricket associations affiliated with the BCCI.
How are the groups structured in SMAT 2026?
The 38 teams are divided into five Elite Groups (Groups A to E) of 7 teams each, and one Plate Group of 3 teams.
Which state association has won the most SMAT titles?
Tamil Nadu leads the historical roll of honour with 3 titles, followed by Mumbai, Baroda, Karnataka, and Gujarat with 2 titles each.