Salman Nizar Shines with 99 in Syed Mushtaq Ali, But IPL 2025 Auction Snub Raises Questions

Salman Nizar made headlines in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy encounter between Kerala and Mumbai with an electrifying knock of 99 runs off 49 balls.

His performance was nothing short of spectacular, as he blasted five fours and eight sixes, showcasing his immense potential as a power-hitter. Despite this, Nizar went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction, leaving many wondering how a player with such explosive talent could be overlooked.

Salman Nizar’s Rise and IPL Setback

Salman Nizar, a left-handed middle-order batter from Thalassery, Kerala, was born on June 30, 1997. His cricket journey began in 2015 when he made his first-class debut against Assam.

A year later, he made his List A debut, followed by his T20 debut in 2018. Despite a modest start in T20 cricket—where he scored just six runs in his debut match—Nizar has displayed a strong performance since then, maintaining an average close to 40 and a strike rate of 135.93 across 24 T20 matches before his recent game against Mumbai.

Although Nizar has only one fifty to his name in T20s, his performance against Mumbai was a major confidence booster.

His highest score in first-class cricket stands at 95* and he is yet to hit a century in any format for Kerala.

He is also one of the players who raised concerns about Sachin Baby’s leadership to the KSCA in 2018. At just 27 years old, Nizar is eager to make his mark in the current domestic season.

A Stellar Knock Against Mumbai

In the Group E clash of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Hyderabad, Kerala faced Mumbai in a thrilling encounter. Mumbai won the toss and chose to bowl first, but Kerala’s top-order, led by Rohan Kunnumal and Salman Nizar, had other plans.

While Rohan played an outstanding knock of 87 runs off 48 balls, Salman took center stage with his blistering 99* off 49 balls. He hammered five fours and eight sixes, playing at an incredible strike rate of 202.04.

Salman’s innings helped Kerala post a formidable total of 234/5 in 20 overs, a total that Mumbai was unable to chase down.

The partnership between Rohan and Salman, which added 140 runs for the fourth wicket, was a key highlight of the match. Once Rohan was dismissed, Salman continued his attack, staying unbeaten and taking his team to a massive total.

In response, Mumbai’s batting struggled to cope with the target. Despite a gritty 68 runs off 35 balls from Ajinkya Rahane and a quickfire 32 runs from captain Shreyas Iyer, the Mumbai team fell short, scoring only 191/9 in their 20 overs.

Kerala won the match by 43 runs, with MD Nidheesh emerging as the standout bowler, taking four wickets. Vinod Kumar and Abdul Basith also contributed with two wickets each.

Kerala’s Impressive Position in the Group

With this victory, Kerala now sits comfortably in second place in Group E, having won three of their four matches in the tournament. Their previous win came against Nagaland, where they triumphed by eight wickets.

Despite a loss to Maharashtra, Kerala’s strong performances have placed them in a competitive position, just behind Andhra Pradesh, who are currently leading the group with three wins.

On the other hand, Mumbai’s defeat to Kerala marked their first loss in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and they now occupy the third spot in the group.

However, Mumbai still holds a positive net run rate (NRR) of +0.240. The team will now face Nagaland in their next match, looking to bounce back from their loss.