SMAT 2025-26: Shahrukh Khan released from Tamil Nadu squad
After a disastrous start to the campaign, losing three of its first four matches, Tamil Nadu is theoretically out of the knockouts race in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Having already botched its squad selection, the State senior selection committee has been attempting to redeem itself and the misfiring team with a raft of changes. Pace-bowling all-rounder Sunny Sandhu and spin-bowling all-rounder Mohamed Ali were drafted into the squad on Tuesday. Both are fresh off their exploits in Tamil Nadu’s BCCI U-23 Men’s State-A Trophy triumph.
Subsequently, it emerged on Thursday that Shahrukh Khan has been dropped from the squad and sent back home following a poor run in the tournament so far. What raised eyebrows, however, was that batters Pradosh Ranjan Paul and Andre Siddarth, neither of whom featured in a single match, were also asked to return home. The decision inevitably raises the question of why they were selected in the first place.
It was only a few days before the tournament began that pace-bowling all-rounder R. Rajkumar was added to the squad as an afterthought. This kind of constant rejigging reflects poorly on both the selection committee and the team management.
For a side that won back-to-back titles in 2020-21 and 2021-22, to find itself in such disarray now underlines the sorry state of affairs in Tamil Nadu cricket.
Published on Dec 04, 2025
