4 min readMumbaiDec 11, 2025 09:20 PM IST
First published on: Dec 11, 2025 at 06:48 PM IST
The Super League phase of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 will commence in Pune on Friday, as eight high-quality teams look to put their best foot forward to enter the final on December 18. The players have motivation to perform optimally, as the Indian Premier League auction is scheduled in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
Some have already issued notice of their potential; they have two more rounds, on December 12th and 14th, to push their case. Here are some of the players who could become rich and famous overnight.
Sairaaj Patil (Mumbai)
Sairaaj Patil was expected to do a lot with the bat in the league phase, following a promising season in the T20 Mumbai league. However, it was with the ball that he did most of the talking, taking 11 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 8.21. He has worked with the likes of former India pacer Dhawal Kulkarni and former India spinner Sairaj Bahutule, and that has reflected in his bowling in the ongoing tournament. His best performance came against Vidarbha in Lucknow, where he claimed figures of 3/33 in four overs. Patil can hit the hard lengths at 130 kph and also has slow cutters in his armoury, which adds variety to his bowling. With Shivam Dube away playing for India, Patil may have an even bigger role to play in the Super League phase of the tournament, and a few more impressive performances may help him bag an IPL contract on Tuesday.
Yashvardhan Dalal (Haryana)
The Haryana batter emerged as the highest run-getter for his side in the league phase, with 319 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 143.04. The right-hander, who made headlines last year when he became the first batter to make a 400+ score in a CK Nayudu match against Mumbai, made four half-centuries and also struck 13 sixes. A good performance in the Super League stage could enhance his chances of finding a buyer at the IPL auction on Tuesday. “One remarkable thing about Yash’s batting is his appetite for big scores and his tendency to play straight. He has all the shots for T20 cricket, but he prefers traditional cricketing shots. He showed his 360-degree game after crossing 200,” Haryana Under-23 coach Jitender Siwach had told The Indian Express last year.
Ashok Sharma (Rajasthan)
The Rajasthan pacer, who was released by his home franchise, Rajasthan Royals, ahead of the auction and has been with the Kolkata Knight Riders without getting a game in either team, had an excellent SMAT league phase, where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker. The right-arm pacer, who can clock close to 140 kph regularly, took 19 wickets in seven matches with two four-wicket hauls. While his economy rate of 8.84 was on the higher side, a similar performance, in terms of wickets, in the early stages of the Super League could acquire him a contract.
CTL Rakshann (Hyderabad)
Hyderabad found themselves in a group with teams like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, with players like Prithvi Shaw, Rinku Singh, among others, in their ranks. Yet, they made it to the Super League by topping the group, thanks to CTL Rakshann’s exploits with the ball. The right-arm seamer took 12 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 8.53. His best performance came against Uttar Pradesh at Eden Gardens, where his 3/31 helped bowl the opposition out for 127 in 19.2 overs. Similar performances in the lead-up to the auction could propel his chances of finding a buyer in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
(From left) Rajasthan’s Ashok Sharma and Mumbai's Sairaaj Patil. (Instagram) 
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