Top 5 Players in SMAT To Watch Out For IPL 2027 Auction

With the IPL 2027 auction right around the corner, one of India's biggest domestic T20 competitions, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) continues to become the scouting ground for the biggest cricket league in the world, the Indian Premier League. The 2027 edition will yet again give young Indian players a major platform to showcase their skills and talent against some of the country's strongest domestic sides.

The tournament will feature the 38 teams divided into four Elite groups of eight teams and a six-team Plate group. With some high profile names participating in it, this year's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is expected to draw plenty of attention.

Top 5 SMAT Players in IPL Auction 2027

Among the players worth keeping a close eye on during the domestic league, names such as Raj Limbani, Yash Dhull, Tushar Raheja and others are popping up. The SMAT 2026-27 season is set to begin on November 14 and run until December 6, 2026. Here are some of the probable SMAT players in IPL Auction:

Raj Limbani

Raj Limbani enters the tournament as one of the youngest Indian fast bowlers, attracting significant attention during the SMAT 2026-27. The 20-year-old was also part of India's 2024 Under-19 World Cup squad, gaining remarkable experience at the senior domestic level.

The Baroda pacer picked up 15 wickets in seven matches in the previous SMAT edition. He was also among Baroda's leading wicket-takers in the Baroda Premier League (BPL) before that campaign. Limbani went unsold at the previous IPL auction, but another productive SMAT campaign could change the situation for him.

Yash Dhull

Yash Dhull led India to the 2022 Under-19 World Cup title. He also scored a century against Australia in the semi-final match before making a spectacular debut for Delhi with twin centuries against Tamil Nadu.

Previously, he also earned an IPL contract with Delhi Capitals, although opportunities in the competition were limited for him. Dhull did produce a strong comeback performance as he scored 435 runs in eight matches of the 2025 Delhi Premier League (DPL), including two centuries and three fifties. He followed that with 261 runs in seven innings in the 2025-26 SMAT.

Tushar Raheja

Wicketkeeper-batter Tushar Raheja brings quality top-order batting for Tamil Nadu. The left-handed batter experienced a breakthrough in the Tamil Nadu Premier League as he scored 488 runs at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 185.55.

He also contributed a match-winning 77 in the TNPL final, showcasing his ability to score even in high-pressure matches. This year, he will be amongst the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy players in IPL auction 2027.

Yash Rathod

Yash Rathod is a left-handed batter from Vidarbha who has made an impression through first-class cricket with his recent domestic performances across formats. He is arguably one of the best batsmen in India at the moment, which makes him worth mentioning ahead of the IPL Auction 2027.

During Vidarbha's 2024-25 Ranji Trophy-winning campaign, Yash Rathod contributed 960 runs in 10 matches at an average of 53.33, including five centuries. After earning an India A selection in 2026 and outstanding performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a breakthrough SMAT campaign could therefore be the missing piece in his profile.

Yashvardhan Dalal

The Haryana batter is entering the premium domestic tournament with perhaps the strongest recent T20 numbers among the five. After an incredible 2025-26 campaign, finishing with 398 runs in 11 matches, hitting 32 fours and 19 sixes, Yashvardhan Dalal was placed fourth on the overall run-scoring chart of the tournament.

He was also one of three Haryana batters to make it among the leading run-scorers, alongside Ankit Kumar and Kumar Kushagra. With an aggressive batting approach in the 2026-27 edition of SMAT, Yashvardhan can be among the domestic names most closely tracked by some of the biggest cricket franchises in the world ahead of IPL 2027 Auction.