🇮🇳 Trending in India · 11 November 2026
Who is Sanju Samson, and why is he leading Kerala in the T20 trophy?
Who is Sanju Samson?
Sanju Samson is a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Thiruvananthapuram who plays for the Kerala cricket team and also for India in T20 internationals. Wikipedia lists his date of birth as 11 November 1994, which is today's date. He has also played in the Indian Premier League, the country's top franchise T20 league.
What is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy?
It is India's national T20 tournament for state teams, first held in the 2006–07 season. It is named after Syed Mushtaq Ali, a former Test cricketer. The tournament is played by teams from the Ranji Trophy, the country's premier first-class competition, and in recent editions there have been 38 teams, with a round-robin stage followed by knockouts.
Titles and Kerala's record
Tamil Nadu has won the trophy three times, the most of any team. Mumbai won the 2024–25 edition. Kerala has not yet won the title, and their best finish was third place in the 2012–13 season, when they missed the final after losing their last league match.
Why he is in the news now
Samson will lead Kerala, now referred to as Keralam in some reports, when the tournament starts with a match against Madhya Pradesh on November 14. Kerala are in Elite Group C and aim to reach the knockout stage. He is playing in the gap between India's New Zealand T20I tour and the Sri Lanka series, which begins in the third week of December. The final squad was picked after selection trials at the KCA's Mangalapuram Stadium.
Quick points
Quick quiz
1. Against which team does Kerala begin their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in the 2026-27 edition?
2. After whom is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy named?
3. Which team has won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy the most times?
