Manish Panday returns to Karnataka squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The Karnataka squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 has been announced, featuring the return of experienced batter Manish Panday to the senior team after two years. However, senior players Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Gopal have not been included in the squad.

The decision was made to exclude the senior players while selecting for this T20 tournament, which is to be held in Mumbai later this month. Shreyas Gopal has previously served as stand-in captain for Karnataka in their last two winning Ranji Trophy matches. While Mayank Agarwal had scored 135 runs in 7 matches in the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shreyas had taken five wickets with only 25 runs.

State chief selector Amit Varma told Sportstar that Mayank and Shreyas were rested to provide opportunities to young players. He added that it was a difficult decision to include young players like Anishwar Gautam and Rohan Patil in the team. Varma further stated that experienced batters such as Manish Panday and Karun Nair are present in the team.

According to Amit Varma, Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Gopal will be included in Karnataka's 50-over team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Should any player get injured during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the option to include them in the team for this tournament will also be available.

Furthermore, Manvant Kumar, who impressed with his aggressive batting and steady pace in the Ranji Trophy, is also part of the team. Speaking about Manvant, Amit Varma said that he is an excellent candidate as a fast-bowling all-rounder, which is rare. He expressed hope that Manvant would be able to secure an IPL contract by performing well in this tournament.