Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: One of the Most Famous Trophies in the World

Cricket is a well-known and most-played sport across the world. Every player who loves this game dreams of playing in a blue jersey for an Indian team. However, to perform for a country, there are many stages to cross. Cricket formats like the Ranji Trophy, Ashes Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy are the platform to showcase playing skills. 

All of the above-mentioned trophies are the best platform to prove the game. From all of these formats of cricket trophies, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) is one of the top domestic T20 tournaments in India. It is also known as an interstate T20 championship. 

Syed Mushtaq Trophy tournaments (SMAT) take place annually and are coordinated by the BCCI. Before the Mushtaq Trophy, the Ranji Trophy winners were the only ones that were restricted to domestic cricket. With the change in an era, the T20 format takes place in the cricket that introduced SMAT. The best part of 20-20 overs cricket is that it takes less time and gives more entertainment also. 

So if you are a hardcore cricket fan and want to know more about SMAT, then it is a perfect platform. In this blog, we will shed light on the history of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 

History of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

This Indian T20 domestic tournament, or we can say the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, is managed by the BCCI. This domestic Indian T20 tournament took place in late 2006 or early 2007. When we discuss the history of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, then the name of this trophy is based on the former test cricketer Syed Mushtaq Ali. Talking about the format of this trophy, it works completely like the IPL trophy. But the major drawback of other trophies is that there is no room for new players in them. International players already occupy the places, and because of this, new talented cricketers do not get a chance.

So to resolve this issue, SMAT offers plenty of opportunities to young and talented cricketers. The first tournament of this format was won by the team Tamil Nadu, which was led by an Indian cricketer, Dinesh Karthik. With the change of time, the round-robin technique is applied to this and divides teams into groups. BCCI changed the game in the years 2012-2013 and enabled knockout rounds to a Super League format. But later in 2017, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy reverted into the original format.

Winners List of the SMAT

With the help of the below table, readers will get to know about the season-wise matches, winner, runnerup, and final venue.