Sushant Mishra, freshly recruited by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL 2026 auction, finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, consequently helping Jharkhand win their maiden SMAT title on Thursday.
The 24-year-old left-arm pacer, yet to make his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL), picked up 22 wickets in 11 matches in the tournament at an average of 17.18 and tied with Rajasthan’s Ashok Sharma, a former Royal, for the top spot.
Remarkably consistent throughout the tournament, Mishra did not register a four- or five-wicket haul throughout the tournament.
He picked up three wickets in four different matches, including his best figures of 3/21 against Rajasthan in Ahmedabad. The fast bowler’s second-best tally - 3/27 - was in the final against Haryana.
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Sushant Mishra went wicketless just once - against Tripura in Ahmedabad - and was otherwise a constant presence in Jharkhand’s march to the title.
In the final, Mishra delivered a composed spell of 3/27 in four overs as Jharkhand defended a mammoth 262/3, dismissing Haryana for 193 in the 20th over.
Mishra removed opener Arsh Ranga, middle-order batter Parth Vats and all-rounder Anshul Kamboj, finishing with an economy rate of 6.75 - the only bowler across both sides to concede under 10 an over in the decisive fixture.
Hailing from Ranchi, Mishra developed his game under the guidance of Rahul David in his formative years. He was also part of India’s triumphant 2020 Under-19 World Cup squad.
Before landing at Rajasthan Royals, Mishra had stints with Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, though an IPL debut has so far eluded him.
Despite limited exposure at the senior T20 level - just 15 matches - Mishra boasts an impressive average of 18.20, numbers that underline his promise.
