Jharkhand’s maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) triumph in the 2025–26 season marked a historic breakthrough after years of underachievement in India’s premier domestic T20 competition.
Jharkhand, despite producing elite cricketers like M.S. Dhoni and Ishan Kishan, had never featured in the winner or runner-up lists, highlighting the chasm between individual brilliance and team success.
Historically, Jharkhand struggled to convert talent into results due to structural and resource challenges. Limited quality grounds, fewer high-level domestic tournaments, inconsistent grassroot pathways and long travel distances for young players hindered progress.
Many prospects had to rely on personal grit rather than systematic exposure, leading to raw talent without tactical maturity or depth — often resulting in narrow losses and early exits.
The transformation began this season with a clear vision from the coaching staff, led by Ratan Kumar, and strong guidance from JSCA joint secretary Shahbaz Nadeem.
“When we started the season, right from the appointment of the coaching staff, we have always taken Dhoni’s advice and suggestions. He followed the entire [SMAT] tournament, noted all the strengths and weaknesses of the players and discussed with us. He knows the stats and numbers of each domestic player from Jharkhand. He is very interested in helping Jharkhand cricket grow”, Nadeem told ESPNcricinfo.
The biggest shift was clarity in roles and trust. Players were encouraged to express natural stroke-play, youngsters were backed despite failures, and attacking cricket was promoted without the fear of being dropped.
Captain Ishan Kishan epitomised this change, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. Kumar Kushagra complemented him perfectly in the middle-order as both stabiliser and accelerator. Together, they powered Jharkhand to its maiden SMAT final, where it set a record 262 for three. Anukul Roy was named Player-of-the-Series.
Jharkhand’s SMAT momentum has carried into the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with fearless batting translating well to the 50-over format. It has posted several big totals and registered convincing wins, and is well in contention for a spot in the knockouts.
