SMAT 2022-23: IPL experience great boost for youngsters in domestic T20 tournament

SMAT 2022-23: IPL experience great boost for youngsters in domestic T20 tournament. Top five Indian young batters who are doing good in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23.

Tilak Varma represents Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022 (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a launching pad for several young cricketers in the past and will continue to be in the future. Quite a number of players who were unknown before the IPL have performed well in the tournament and went on to represent the country and played a huge part in the success of various teams they have played for.

This is applicable not just for the Indian players but also the plethora of overseas stars who have utilised IPL as a platform to gain experience and found lots of success in the leagues across the world. When it comes to Indian talents which are abundant, the proportion of getting a chance in IPL is very less. Such is the competition even at the youth level when it comes to Indian cricket.

Apart from the IPL, the Indian domestic season includes the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy (SMAT) which is a T20 competition amongst the first-class sides of India. SMAT is a national T20 tournament, and it is a launch pad for emerging cricketers to get into the reckoning and contention for IPL teams talent scouts to pick from. The pool is so large that many of the deserving candidates can get overlooked.

Yes, we have good performances in SMAT which get noticed and the players gets rewarded in the form of IPL contracts, but the IPL experience has helped youngsters to steal the show in SMAT. The domestic players more often get to play under high pressure situations in the IPL even by just being in the dressing room and when they come to play tournaments like SMAT, they automatically become senior players and are expected to be responsible.

This is the case in every single edition of SMAT and the 2022-23 season has been no different thus far.

Here are five of the players whose IPL experiences have greatly benefitted them in SMAT 2022-23

Tilak Varma scored 397 runs from 14 games in IPL 2022 (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Tilak Varma (Hyderabad)

The 19-year-old from Hyderabad is regarded as one of the promising young batting talents in the country. He is expected to be part of India’s batting line-up someday and has a huge potential to be a star in his own right. Tilak Varma was picked by the 5-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and debuted for them in the 2022 season.

Though it was not a season to remember for MI, Tilak Varma made a huge impression in his maiden outing. The youngster was the team’s 2nd highest run-getter in that edition with 397 runs, only behind Ishan Kishan.

Tilak from then on grew from strength to strength in the domestic circuit. He was drafted into the India A side facing New Zealand at home and then found success in the ongoing SMAT where he is currently the 6th highest run-getter with 297 runs till the group stage. He has struck 4 fifties for Hyderabad and bailed them out from them trouble more often than not.

Tilak Varma in T20s in 2022

Format	M	Runs	Strike Rate	Average	HS	50s/100s
IPL	14	397	131.02	36.09	61	2/0
SMAT	6	297	136.23	49.50	67	4/0

Read More: SMAT 2022-23: Top 5 Impactful Players: Nitish Rana, Tilak Varma present decent case for themselves

Yash Dhull is the winning captain of ICC U-19 World Cup 2022 (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Yash Dhull (Delhi)

India’s 2022 Under-19 World Cup winning captain has had a dream run thus far in SMAT 2022-23. After a stunning start to his first-class career, where he slammed twin centuries on his Ranji Trophy debut for Delhi, a double-century in the next game followed by a century on Duleep Trophy debut, Yash Dhull looks set for bigger things with consistent outings in the SMAT.

Dhull is the leading run-getter in the league stage of SMAT 2022-23 and has guided his team Delhi to the quarter-final stage in his debut SMAT season. Dhull was picked by the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL 2022 Auction but didn’t get a game in the whole season. But he shared the dressing room with some of the greats through the two months and could be one of the reasons why he was so successful in the domestic season that followed the IPL.

Yash Dhull in T20s in 2022

Format	M	Runs	Strike Rate	Average	HS	50s/100s
SMAT	7	324	137.28	64.80	73	3/0

Read More: Ranji Trophy 2021-22 Round-up: Yash Dhull strikes centuries in both innings on debut for Delhi

Riyan Parag (Assam)

Riyan Parag has been a known commodity and played quite a lot in the IPL with sporadic success. He had some flashes of brilliance but his overall IPL record despite playing since 2019 for Rajasthan Royals has been ordinary to say the least.

However, Parag when he plays for his state side Assam in domestic cricket has turned out to be a match-winner on many occasions. The SMAT 2022-23 has been no different for the all-rounder. Parag was on song with both bat and ball, but unfortunately his team could not qualify for the next round. This performance of his where he made 253 runs and took 6 wickets from 7 games will give the youngster a great boost ahead of the rest of the domestic season and the IPL that follows.

Riyan Parag T20 Record

Format	M	Runs	Strike Rate	Average	HS	50s/100s
IPL	47	522	124.88	16.88	56*	2/0
SMAT 2022	7	253	165.65	63.25	75	2/0

Read More: IPL 2022: Tilak Varma’s journey from back lanes of Hyderabad to the high streets of Maximum City

Aryan was picked up by Mumbai Indians at IPL 2022 Auction (Image: ©Aryan Juyal/facebook)

Aryan Juyal (Uttar Pradesh)

Like Yash Dhull, Aryan Juyal is yet to make his IPL debut but has been part of the Mumbai Indians dressing room gaining some valuable lessons from some of the all-time greats of the game. This experience must have definitely helped him in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he represents Uttar Pradesh.

Though Juyal made his T20 debut back in 2019, it was in this edition of SMAT where he began to churn runs for his team. Aryan Juyal was the 2nd highest run-scorer for UP, behind Karan Sharma and the keeper-batter has a great potential to figure prominently in the MI ranks in coming years. The right-hander could be the next in line to get an opportunity if there is an injury of sorts to MI’s regular keeper Ishan Kishan.

Aryan Juyal T20 Record

Format	M	Runs	Strike Rate	Average	HS	50s/100s
T20	14	285	121.27	35.65	71*	2/0
SMAT 2022	7	218	120.44	54.50	71*	2/0

Read More: IPL 2022, Top 5 Youngsters: Ayush Badoni, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma quietly confident in progress

Yashasvi Jaiswal represents Rajasthan Royal in IPL (Images ©BCCI/IPL)

Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai)

The left-hand opening batter from Mumbai has had a stellar 2022 as far as domestic performances are concerned. Yashasvi Jaiswal, in 6 first-class games, has scored a whopping 995 runs at an astounding average of over 90 and has smashed 5 centuries. This includes 2 double-centuries which he scored in the Duleep Trophy recently.

Jaiswal continued his splendid run of form over to the T20 format where he was once again amongst the runs in SMAT. The 20-year-old has made 214 runs from 7 games and is the 2nd highest run-scorer for Mumbai behind their skipper Prithvi Shaw. This has helped them reach the quarter-final stage. His fearless batting and consistent run of form is a result of putting in the hard yards in IPL for quite a few seasons.

Yashasvi Jaiswal in T20s in 2022

Format	M	Runs	Strike Rate	Average	HS	50s/100s
IPL	10	258	132.99	25.80	68	2/0
SMAT	7	214	150.70	42.80	66*	1/0

The quarter-finals of SMAT 2022-23 are scheduled to be held on November 1 at different venues across Kolkata.

Karnataka are pitted against Punjab in the first quarter-final at the Eden Gardens from 11 AM IST, while Delhi play Vidarbha at the Jadavpur University Campus 2nd Ground in the second quarter-final from 11 AM.

The third quarter-final is between Bengal and Himachal Pradesh at the Videocon Academy Ground from 11 AM, while the fourth quarter-final is between Mumbai and Saurashtra at the Eden Gardens from 4:30 PM.

The two semi-finals are scheduled to be held on November 3 followed by the final on November 5.

Read More: India’s batters struggle against left-arm pacers; Will more left-arm seam options in team help?