Follow UsThe Madhya Pradesh (MP) cricket team, which suffered a defeat in their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26 against Hyderabad in Kolkata, will finally have their captain and the reigning IPL winning captain from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Rajat Patidar, by their side from the third round of the tournament.
In the second round, MP will face Bihar in their group stage game in Kolkata itself. Patidar, as cited in a report by ESPNcricinfo, has been recovering from a left-knee niggle and ‘has been cleared to play by the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.’
Although he will join the team on Friday, he will only be available to play from November 30 (Sunday) onwards. The publication said that the 32-year-old completed a 10-day rehabilitation at CoE.
Having started the Ranji season with a ton against Punjab, the right-handed batter hit two centuries and two half-centuries, having already won the Duleep Trophy 2025 for the Central Zone as captain.
The SMAT 2025-26, by the way, will be the first instance of Patidar playing a white ball game since the end of IPL 2025. Patidar is now the all-format captain of Madhya Pradesh.
When MP reached the final of the SMAT last season, Patidar finished as the second-highest run getter of the tournament, totalling 428 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 186.08.
The MP team will be looking to go one step further and win their first SMAT ever.