Smaran Ravichandran(Special Arrangement)
In red-hot form, Ravichandran Smaran strengthened his case for higher honours with a fighting unbeaten 126 that put Rest of India in control against Jammu & Kashmir in the Irani Cup at the Sher-I-Kashmir Stadium on Saturday. The 23-year-old Karnataka left-hander, recently named his state’s captain for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, struck 126 not out off 131 balls, with 15 fours and five sixes. RoI were in trouble at 197/8 on Day Three after Akash Deep fell for 1. 8, was trapped lbw by off-spinner Sahil Lotra for 8, while vice-captain Sarfaraz Khan fell for a rare five-ball duck, caught at slip off Umar Nazir.
It was his seventh first-class century in just his 20th match.
Earlier, captain Rishabh Pant, who was unwell and walked in at No.
Having top-scored with 68 in the first innings, Smaran again showed the class that brought him 950 runs at 86.36 for Karnataka in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. He reached his hundred off 113 balls and then smashed 26 off the next 18, attacking the J&K bowlers in fading light. Their bowlers sent down 21 no-balls, with Umar Nazir alone overstepping 15 times in the innings and 22 times in the match. Nazir had Smaran given lbw on 104, with RoI at 237, but the no-ball buzzer saved the batter.
J&K were left to rue repeated lapses.