Shubham Khajuria has been appointed captain of Jammu and Kashmir for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026, with pace bowling returnee Umran Malik and IPL debutant Brijesh Sharma both securing places in the 15-member squad. The selection marks Umran's return to J&K colours and spotlights Brijesh's rapid rise through domestic cricket.

Squad Composition and Key Inclusions

The 15-member side features two specialist wicketkeepers — Dikshant Kundal and Rydham Sharma — alongside batting mainstays including Abdul Samad, Qamran Iqbal, and Yawer Hassan. The remaining squad members are Kawalpreet Singh, Sahil Lotra, Vanshaj Sharma, Abid Mushtaq, Yudhvir Singh, Sunil Kumar, and Lone Nasir Muzaffar.

Brijesh, who trained under former Ranji Trophy pacer and coach Deepak Punia in Delhi after initially representing J&K age-group teams, earned his Indian Premier League contract with Rajasthan Royals (RR) following an outstanding 2025 Bengal Pro T20 League campaign — where he claimed 11 wickets in seven games for Smashers Malda. In his debut IPL season in 2026, Brijesh went on to pick up 14 wickets in 13 matches for Rajasthan Royals, who had secured him at a base price of ₹30 lakh.

Tournament Venue and Schedule

All of Jammu and Kashmir's league-stage fixtures will be held in Indore, with the group phase running from 14 November to 26 November. J&K have been placed in Elite Group B and open their campaign against Delhi on 14 November.

The remaining fixtures see J&K face Tamil Nadu (16 November), Saurashtra (18 November), Bihar (20 November), Punjab (22 November), Railways (24 November), and Haryana (26 November).

A Tough Group Demands an Immediate Impact

Elite Group B presents a formidable challenge. With former champions Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab all sharing the bracket, Khajuria's side cannot afford a slow start if they are to secure a knockouts berth. This comes amid growing expectations for J&K cricket, buoyed by the presence of Umran's raw pace and Brijesh's fresh IPL pedigree — a combination that could give the attack genuine variety at the top.

Notably, Brijesh had also featured in J&K's practice matches against Uttarakhand from 10 to 17 August in Srinagar, signalling his reintegration into the state setup well ahead of the national tournament. The side will be watching closely to see whether their dual-paced attack can unsettle stronger batting line-ups in Indore's conditions.

Full Squad

Shubham Khajuria (captain), Qamran Iqbal, Yawer Hassan, Abdul Samad, Kawalpreet Singh, Dikshant Kundal (wk), Rydham Sharma (wk), Sahil Lotra, Vanshaj Sharma, Abid Mushtaq, Yudhvir Singh, Sunil Kumar, Umran Malik, Brijesh Sharma, Lone Nasir Muzaffar.

With the league stage barely days away, all eyes will be on whether this blend of experience, pace, and IPL-tested firepower can carry J&K deep into the knockout rounds.