Varun Chakaravarthy will lead Tamil Nadu, the most successful side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). The spinner was named as skipper of the side for the 2025-26 season. Tamil Nadu have won the trophy thrice, the most by any side. Chakaravarthy’s side will feature in Group D alongside Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tripura, Jharkhand and Saurashtra