The fifth round of the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) saw several teams making drastic moves up and down the standings of their respective groups. With only two more matches remaining for all the teams in the group stage of the competition, round five proved decisive for most sides.It also resulted in many noteworthy performances from individuals who stepped up to the plate at crucial stages of the matches. Lest we forget, there is also the IPL 2026 auction that is less than two weeks away.With some of the non-contracted players also looking to impress the franchises, many batting and bowling performances went through the roof in an engrossing round of the SMAT. However, in a round dominated by all-round performances, unlike the predominant batting heroics from the earlier ones, a few individuals stood out more than the others.On that note, let us look at the top five performers from round five of the 2025-26 SMAT.#5 Ashok SharmaIt is not often that a player makes a telling contribution with bat and ball in a T20 game. However, Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma produced just that in the side's crucial Group D encounter against Saurashtra. Sharma first wrecked Saurashtra's batting lineup with an incredible spell of 4/20 from his four overs. His bowling heroics helped restrict them to a modest 145 all-out in 19.3 overs. Yet, Rajasthan was not out of the woods as the batters almost made a meal out of the run chase. But Sharma ensured his bowling efforts did not go to waste, scoring a match-winning seven-ball 15* at No. 10. His clutch performance helped Rajasthan pull off a two-wicket win with a ball to spare.#4 Suyash PrabhudessaiGoa earned themselves a crucial third win in their fifth game, thanks to arguably the best batting performance of round five from Suyash Prabhudessai. Chasing a challenging 181 for victory against Bihar, the 27-year-old was in early with his side in trouble at 10/2 in the second over. However, the Goa skipper remained unfazed, scoring a brilliant 46-ball 79 to help the side pull off a thrilling five-wicket win with a ball to spare. It was his second consecutive 70+ score, following his 75* against Madhya Pradesh two days back.#3 Mohammed ShamiThere has been much chatter about ace pacer Mohammed Shami's future in Indian cricket over the past month. However, the veteran seamer allowed his bowling to do the talking in Bengal's round five outing against Services. In an incredible display of new-ball and death bowling, Shami picked up two wickets each in the powerplay and the end overs. He finished with brilliant figures of 4/13 in 3.2 overs, helping Bengal bowl the Services out for 165 in the penultimate over. The Bengal batters ensured Shami's heroics did not go in vain, chasing the score down comfortably with almost five overs to spare.#2 Soumya LenkaOdisha continued their resurgence with a second consecutive win after their 0-3 start to the tournament. While many contributed, Odisha can thank young Soumya Lenka for a near single-handed match-winning display with bat and ball. Against the more fancied Railways unit, Odisha slipped to 38/4 in the seventh over when Lenka walked out to bat. The 22-year-old, though, was not to be denied as he scored a game-changing 40-ball 75* to help his side post a competitive 169/5 in 20 overs. The youngster then showcased his all-round skills, picking up three crucial wickets with his medium-pace bowling, helping Odisha pull off a memorable one-run win.#1 Ayush BadoniThe talented Ayush Badoni produced not only the best performance of round five but also arguably the performance of the 2025-26 SMAT up to this stage. In a pivotal Delhi-Karnataka clash with both teams at 2-2, the 26-year-old pulled off an all-round showing for the ages. Walking in to bat in the second over, Badoni scored a valuable 35-ball 53 to help Delhi post a massive 232/3 in 20 overs. However, it was his bowling that took Karnataka by surprise as he picked up four wickets with his off-spinners. Badoni all but finished Karnataka's spirited run chase with his spell of 4/12 in two overs. Three of his four scalps came in the penultimate over, including the wicket of Karnataka's top-scorer Ravichandran Smaran for 72. Delhi eventually won by 45 wickets as Badoni produced the rare double of a half-century and four wickets in the same game.