# Nitish Rana and Mayank Agarwal Dropped as Teams Announced for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

> Several state teams have announced their squads for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. Notable players like Nitish Rana and Mayank Agarwal missed selection.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Cricket · **Published:** 2026-11-06 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/cricket/saiyada-mushtaka-ali-trophi-ke-lie-timen-nitish-rana-aura-mayank-agarwal-hue-bahara-57306 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Nitish Rana, Mayank Agarwal, Ayush Badoni, Delhi Cricket Team, Karnataka Cricket Team, Domestic Cricket

Domestic T20 cricket action is heating up as several state teams announced their respective squads on November 6 for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. With the tournament scheduled to get underway on November 14, selection committees have finalized their line-ups, introducing some major surprises and omissions. Prominent names like former captain Nitish Rana and experienced batter Mayank Agarwal have been left out of their respective state squads. Meanwhile, the Bihar Cricket Association also announced its squad for the tournament, handing the captaincy responsibility to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

## Ayush Badoni to Lead Delhi as Nitish Rana and Others Miss Out

Delhi has officially announced its 16-member squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, omitting experienced batsman and former skipper Nitish Rana from the side. The tournament is set to kick off on November 14. The 32-year-old Rana, who was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad that won the IPL in 2024, served as Delhi's captain during the previous season of the SMAT. However, the team failed to progress beyond the group stage back then. For the upcoming season, Ayush Badoni has been appointed to lead the side. Delhi has been placed in Elite Group B alongside Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra, and Tamil Nadu. All matches for this group will take place in Indore, and Delhi will begin its campaign on November 14 with a match against Jammu and Kashmir.

## Delhi's 16-Member Squad for the Tournament

The selectors have picked a balanced 16-member squad for Delhi under the leadership of Ayush Badoni. The batting unit features Priyansh Arya, Sarthak Ranjan, Yash Dhull, Ayush Dosajha, Himmat Singh, and Mayank Rawat. Tejasvi and Anuj Rawat have been selected as wicketkeepers in the squad. The bowling and all-round department comprises Keshav Dabas, Suyash Sharma, Digvesh, Ishant Sharma, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, and Simarjeet Singh.

## Ravitchandra Smaran Appointed Karnataka Captain as Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Gopal Miss Selection

In another notable development, the Karnataka team has named Ravitchandra Smaran as its new captain while including seasoned campaigner Manish Pandey in the 15-player squad. Karnataka has been slotted into Elite Group A this year, alongside Baroda, Bengal, Chandigarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, with all group matches scheduled to be played in Mumbai. Mayank Agarwal captained the team in the previous season, but the side failed to reach the knockouts and finished fifth in Elite Group D. Following that campaign, both Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Gopal have been excluded from the current squad.

## Karnataka's 15-Member Squad and Coaching Staff

Led by captain R. Smaran, Karnataka's 15-member squad includes Rohan Patil, Luvnith Sisodia, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, and Abhinav मनोहर (Abhinav Manohar). The rest of the team features Shikhar Shetty, Manvant Kumar, Pravin Dubey, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Vidwath Kaverappa, Abhilash Shetty, wicketkeeper K.L. Srijith, A. Gautam, and Ritesh Bhatkal. The team is coached by R. Vinay Kumar. As domestic cricket enters a crucial phase, these rejigged squads will look to make a strong impact when the matches commence later this month.

## What this means for you
Major squad overhauls by Delhi and Karnataka for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy highlight a strict performance-based selection policy.

- **Across India:** The exclusion of established names ahead of the domestic T20 tournament signals a clear shift towards giving opportunities to younger talent. This reshuffle creates fresh pathways for emerging cricketers across the domestic circuit to prove their mettle and catch national selectors' attention.
- **In Indore and Mumbai:** With group stage fixtures set to be hosted in Indore and Mumbai, local cricket enthusiasts will get to witness top-tier domestic talent in action. Fans and aspiring players in these regions can experience competitive high-intensity T20 cricket up close.

## Why this happened
The exclusion of senior players like Nitish Rana and Mayank Agarwal from the state squads stems directly from underwhelming campaigns in the previous domestic season.

- **Previous Season Struggles:** Delhi failed to progress beyond the group stage under Nitish Rana's leadership last season, prompting selectors to hand over the captaincy to Ayush Badoni.
- **Karnataka's Setback:** Karnataka missed the knockout rounds and finished fifth in Elite Group D under Mayank Agarwal's captaincy last year, leading the management to appoint Ravitchandra Smaran as the new captain.
- **Youth Integration:** Selection panels are looking to build fresh combinations and inject youthful energy into the squads ahead of the highly competitive domestic T20 fixtures.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. When does the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy start?
The domestic T20 tournament is scheduled to begin on November 14.

### 2. Who has been appointed as Delhi's captain for the tournament?
Ayush Badoni will lead the Delhi team as captain.

### 3. Who is the new captain of the Karnataka team?
Karnataka has named Ravitchandra Smaran as its new captain for the tournament.

### 4. In which city will Delhi's group matches be played?
All of Delhi's group stage matches will be played in Indore.

### 5. Where will Karnataka's group matches take place?
Karnataka has been placed in Elite Group A, with all their matches scheduled to be held in Mumbai.

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