Top 5 performers in Round 1 of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 ft. Urvil Patel

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26 began on Wednesday, November 26. 32 teams are participating in the Elite League. The teams are divided into four groups of eight teams each - Elite Group A, Elite Group B, Elite Group C, and Elite Group D.

After the end of the first round, Mumbai topped the Group A table, with Kerala behind them in second position. Uttar Pradesh topped the Group B table, with Hyderabad behind them. The top position in the Group C table was taken by Gujarat, while Jharkhand topped Group D.

Several well-known names in the international and domestic circuit put up brilliant performances in the first round of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, players will be keen to continue performing consistently and grab the attention of all franchises.

On that note, let us take a look at the top five performers in the first round of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26, India's premier domestic T20 tournament.

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#5 Aryan Juyal (Uttar Pradesh)

Uttar Pradesh's wicketkeeper-batter Aryan Juyal put up a solid display with the bat in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 clash against Goa. Batting first, Goa posted a challenging total of 172/9 on the board.

In reply, Uttar Pradesh got over the line comfortably in 18.2 overs with six wickets to spare. Opening the batting, Aryan Juyal struck an unbeaten fifty to see his team through. He scored 93 not out off just 57 balls, including 11 fours and three maximums at a strike-rate of 163.15. Notably, Juyal has been in the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) camps but has yet to make his IPL debut.

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#4 Rohan Kunnummal (Kerala)

27-year-old Rohan Kunnummal began the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 with a bang, scoring a match-winning, unbeaten century for Kerala in their opening game against Odisha.

Odisha got to a modest total of 176/7 after batting first. However, Kerala's openers made light work of the chase. Rohan Kunnummal and skipper Sanju Samson finished the game in just 16.3 overs as Kerala trashed Odisha by ten wickets. Rohan slammed an unbeaten 121 off 60 balls, including 10 fours and as many sixes at a strike-rate of 201.66.

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#3 Deepak Hooda (Rajasthan)

Rajasthan all-rounder Deepak Hooda showcased his potential with the bat against Tamil Nadu. Batting first, Tamil Nadu made 169/8 from their 20 overs. Deepak ensured that it was an easy chase for Rajasthan as they finished the game in 16.3 overs with six wickets remaining.

He smashed an unbeaten 76 off just 36 balls batting at number three. His knock included six boundaries and as many maximums at a strike-rate of 211.11. He was released by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the 2026 auction. The all-rounder will be eager to continue his solid form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26.

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#2 Aman Khan (Puducherry)

Aman Khan put up a terrific all-round performance for Puducherry against Haryana. They batted first and posted 201/9 on the board. Aman scored a quickfire 35 off 19 balls with three boundaries and two sixes.

They restricted Haryana to 196/6 to win by a close margin of five runs. Aman played a key role with the ball as well. He returned figures of 4/28 from four overs. Notably, Aman Khan has represented the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2022 and the Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2023.

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#1 Urvil Patel (Gujarat)

CSK wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel lit up the opening round of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 with a sensational hundred for Gujarat against Services. Batting first, Services made 182/9.

Gujarat's openers got them off to a blazing start, adding 174 runs for the first wicket in just 11.4 overs. They trashed the Services, chasing the target down in 12.3 overs with eight wickets to spare. Urvil Patel led the charge with an unbeaten 119 off 37 balls. His stellar knock was laced with 12 fours and 10 sixes and came at a scintillating strike-rate of 321.62.