Several India stars have outperformed two days before the IPL 2026 auction.
Several India stars were in action today in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 Super League round on Sunday, December 14. The 23-year-old Maramreddy Hemanth Reddy stole the headlines with a match-winning century under pressure. Multiple notable names, including Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Ishan Kishan, and young guns like Ramandeep Singh, Saleel Arora, and Nishant Sindhu, made significant contributions.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan displayed why he is considered among the most feared openers with an impressive 63 off 30 balls in SMAT 2025. The southpaw came out all guns blazing and used powerplay restriction to its best advantage, amassing 63 runs off 30 balls, decorated with four boundaries and five maximums. His fearless performances will force the selectors to take note amid the constant failures of Shubman Gill at the top for India in the shortest format.
Venkatesh Iyer has finally found his rhythm with the ball. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder gave a strong reminder of his value in the SMAT 2025 Super League clash against Jharkhand. Iyer bowled an impressive three-over spell, claiming three for 17, including the scalps of top-order batters Ishan Kishan, Kumar Kushagra, and Robin Minz. His control in the middle overs and his variations stood out, giving scouts an important glimpse of his potential ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. However, on the batting front, his stay was cut short after he got run out for seven off nine balls.
On a day where batters did the talking in SMAT 2025, Mohammed Siraj stood out with his control and discipline, returning with figures of two for 23 in four overs for Hyderabad. His spell included crucial wickets, including former Gujarat Titans batter Mahipal Lomror and former Punjab Kings spinner Rahul Chahar. The spell will also give him the confidence to make a comeback in the white-ball squads of India.
Though Punjab were stunned by Andhra by Maramreddy’s knock in SMAT 2025, Ramandeep Singh displayed his power-hitting skills lower down the order, scoring 43 off just 18 balls to help reach Punjab’s commendable 205 for five. His explosive knock was laced with five fours and two sixes, striking at 238.89.
In another SMAT 2025 fixture, for Haryana, youngster Nishant Sindhu, retained by GT ahead of IPL 2026 auction, shone with a fiery 63 off 38 balls, showcasing incredible maturity, though the team couldn’t defend their total against Mumbai.
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Andhra’s Maramreddy Hemanth Reddy attracted eyeballs two days before the IPL 2026 auction. Playing his second T20 game of the career, the all-rounder blasted a scintillating unbeaten 109 off 53 balls, laced with 11 fours and seven sixes, to pull off a memorable victory against Punjab. Notably, chasing 206, Andhra faced a top-order collapse as they were reduced to 56 for five, but Reddy’s calmness and fearless approach snatched the victory for Andhra from the jaws of defeat. Alongside SDNV Prasad (53* off 35), Reddy forged an undefeated 155-run stand, the highest in Andhra’s T20 history and the second-best for the sixth wicket or lower in all men’s T20s.
Defending champions Mumbai made a remarkable comeback in SMAT 2025 by comfortably chasing 235 against Haryana, thanks to an explosive partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, who added 88 runs off 37 balls. Jaiswal led the charge with a rapid 101 off 50 balls, featuring 16 fours and one six, marking his fourth T20 century. Sarfaraz was equally aggressive, scoring a brisk 64 off 25 balls, including nine boundaries and three sixes. Their partnership neutralised Haryana’s bowling attack as Mumbai won the match with 15 balls to spare. In a heartwarming moment, Jaiswal shared his Player of the Match award with Sarfaraz.
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