Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Salil Arora is looking ahead to the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Indian Premier League as he looks to fulfil his "dream" of playing for India in the future.
The 23-year-old, who is currently playing for Ludhiana Lions in the ongoing Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, had a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in 2025-26 and also impressed many with his exploits in the IPL 2026.
Arora was Punjab's leading run-scorer in the SMAT 2025-26, having scored 358 runs in eight innings, including a maverick unbeaten 125 off 45 balls against Jharkhand.
His SMAT exploits helped him earn an IPL contract with the SRH ahead of the 2026 season, and he impressed in his limited time at the crease in the death overs, with a notable knock of 30 off just 10 balls being one of his major highlights from the season.
Speaking to IANS, Arora revealed that his dream remains to play for India as he is eyeing another strong SMAT and an IPL and is not looking to take pressure from his previous strong outings.
"Yes, I see the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as a strong opportunity. I want to perform there and then go to the IPL. And then I want to perform in the IPL and play for the Indian team. This is my dream and my goal," he told IANS.
Arora, the wicketkeeper batter, is currently part of the leadership group of Ludhiana in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League and has led the side in the absence of Arshdeep Singh. He has played a few fiery knocks, including a 38-ball 78 against Fazilka Falcons, and has also batted higher up the order at No.3 in the tournament.
The young batter shared that the outings in the state franchise league have helped him, while he also opened on the change in batting position in the league.
Arora, the wicketkeeper batter, is currently part of the leadership group of Ludhiana in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League and has led the side in the absence of Arshdeep Singh. He has played a few fiery knocks, including a 38-ball 78 against Fazilka Falcons, and has also batted higher up the order at No.3 in the tournament.
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"I felt the need to bat higher up the order, as per the requirements of the team. So as I changed the batting order, the result was also positive. So I thought I should play up," he said, highlighting his unbeaten 78 off 38 deliveries.