SMAT 2022: Sanju Samson to lead Kerala 

Sanju Samson in action against NZ 'A' [PC: Twitter]

Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) announced a strong 17-member squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2022, led by Sanju Samson. Samson is currently with the Indian One-Day International (ODI) side, who will begin their three-match series against South Africa on Thursday.

The Rajasthan Royals' captain recently guided India 'A' to a 3-0 ODI clean sweep over visiting New Zealand 'A'. 

Kerala's Ranji Trophy captain, Sachin Baby, has been named vice-captain for the tournament, which sees them alongside Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Services, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, and Meghalaya in Group C.

Kerala has a good blend of experience and youth in the squad with seasoned campaigners like Vishnu Vinod, Baby, Mohammed Azharudeen, Basil Thampi, and K Asif, joining hands with youngsters Shoun Roger, Faizal Fanoos, S Sachin, and Abdul Basit. 

Former India paceman Tinu Yohannan will continue to coach Kerala, with Retheesh Retnakumar acting as an assistant coach.