Every IPL season has its breakout underdog—and this year, Ravichandran Smaran might just be that guy.
The 21-year-old batter from Bangalore has been drafted in by Sunrisers Hyderabad as a replacement for Australian spinner Adam Zampa, and while he might not be a household name (yet), his numbers are already doing the talking.
Smaran’s rise hasn’t been overnight. He faced rejection in back-to-back IPL auctions (2024 and 2025), but instead of sulking, he turned up the heat in domestic cricket. His breakthrough came in the CK Nayudu Trophy, where he smashed a staggering 829 runs, finally putting his name on the radar.
Since then, it’s been all gas, no brakes.
In First-Class cricket, Smaran scored 516 runs in 7 matches at an average of 64.50, including a monster 203 vs Punjab. He carried that form into the Vijay Hazare Trophy, averaging 72.16 over 10 games and hitting a match-winning 101 in the final—helping Karnataka end a six-year title drought.
His T20 game is just as sharp. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he racked up 170 runs at a strike rate of 170, including a blazing 57 (31) vs Tripura. Then came the DY Patil T20, where he exploded for 190 runs in 3 games at a jaw-dropping 186.27 SR, with three consecutive fifties.
Despite training with RCB post-auction and being tipped as a mid-season pick, no deal materialized—until SRH swooped in. And now, the Orange Army has a fearless young batter with red-hot form and a point to prove.
Ravichandran Smaran isn't just a replacement—he’s a redemption arc in motion. With power, consistency, and ice in his veins, he’s stepping into the big league ready to make noise.
Watch this space. The Smaran era might just begin with a bang.
