From missing the U-19 World Cup to starring for Karnataka, Smaran’s rise has been built on discipline, long levers, and belief
Shashank Kishore14-Aug-2025In March 2025, whispers of a new name began echoing through IPL scouting circles: R Smaran.Clips from his trials with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had gone viral within the inner sanctums of IPL talent scouts. Smaran wasn’t just clearing the ropes; he was launching spinners out of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Smaran, 22, received excellent feedback from almost all the trials he attended, but quietly decided to craft his own routines over the next few weeks to make up for the disappointment of not featuring in the IPL.Batting sessions, gym work, and running throughout the day were topped up with pickleball in the evenings. He wanted to keep himself away from overthinking. And then, when he least expected it, his phone rang. Sunrisers Hyderabad came calling. They needed a replacement for the injured Adam Zampa.He was no legspinner, and nowhere close to a like-for-like replacement. But the intriguing signing was an indication he might be a long-term investment. But even before the doors could fully crack open, they slammed shut.Smaran tripped over the advertising hoardings while attempting a catch at training and injured himself. And just like that, his IPL season was over.
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On Tuesday, in just his second competitive outing since his season ended, Smaran smashed an unbeaten 55 off 22 balls for Gulbarga Mystics against defending champs Mysore Warriors in the KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy.Fittingly, the left-handed batter hit a six, out of the ground and into the trees, to seal the win. There couldn’t have been a better start to what is going to be his second season as a professional cricketer.Smaran is tall, nearly six feet. The penchant to clear the ropes comes from having long levers that he uses to his advantage. But that is only one aspect of a game that he says is very much “work in progress.” In his short career already, he’s shown the ability to grind his way through. Smaran is strong square of the wicket, a by-product of his ability to pick lengths and play well off the back foot. He also prides himself on being an excellent player of spin, something a lot of former Karnataka players and talent scouts have vouched for.”Right from the beginning, I’ve had the ability to clear fences,” Smaran tells ESPNcricinfo. “But I think there’s still a fine line between formats, where in order to be really good at all three formats, you still have to learn to curb your game.”But I think in T20, especially with the wickets being the way it is – really good to bat on – and the size of the grounds in India also not being the greatest when it comes to T20. I think it just comes naturally to me. I wouldn’t say [I’m] a six-hitter, but I back myself to hit sixes on the balls that are loose to me.R Smaran scored 516 runs in ten innings in the last Ranji Trophy season•R Smaran/KSCA”But growing up, the red ball was always a priority. Even now, my main goal is to represent India in Tests. And I think T20 will come as a by-product of that.”Smaran’s 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season started poorly. Five matches in, he hadn’t notched up a single half-century batting in the top five. When Ranji season hit a pause midway for the white-ball leg, the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s (SMAT), he wondered if he’d fluffed his chances.Smaran sat out the first game, but was later drafted into the XI for their second game against Tripura after the selectors decided to drop Manish Pandey. Smaran hit a half-century on debut – 57 off 31 – to help chase down 191.”That knock was a confidence booster, since I had a string of low scores,” he says. “Team-wise, SMAT wasn’t great for us, but it gave me the batting rhythm I needed and I was able to carry that forward into the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”That 50-over tournament was a game-changer for Smaran. Having endured the pressure of replacing Pandey, a senior player in the XI, he hit a superb 101 off 92 in the final against Vidarbha. He helped bail Karnataka out from 67 for 3 in wintry conditions as they posted 348. They ended up winning by 36 runs.Smaran finished as Karnataka’s second-highest run-getter, hitting 433 runs in seven innings at an average of 72.16 with two hundreds and two half-centuries.
“Growing up, the red ball was always a priority. Even now, my main goal is to represent India in Tests. And I think T20 will come as a by-product of that.”R Smaran
“My only goal was to win games for the team,” he says. “One game after another, we started winning. Slowly the belief came in that we can go all the way and win the championship. Once we won, it was surreal.”It’s on the back of this run that Smaran entered the second leg of the Ranji season, in January this year, under immense pressure to keep his spot. On a green top at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Smaran saw the Shubman Gill-led Punjab being bundled out for 55. And when he walked in to bat, conditions were far from easy. Smaran defied the odds and conditions to convert his maiden first-class century into a double ton.”That knock needed mental discipline because conditions were tough, particularly the first day,” he remembers. “It gave me the confidence that I had the ability to play a different style of cricket if required. I’m glad it came off.”Smaran ended the Ranji season with another century to boot against Haryana. Having started the season poorly, he accumulated 516 runs in ten innings at an average of 64.50.
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By 2019-20, Smaran had been a prolific run-getter for Karnataka Under-19s, and was shortlisted as part of a wider pool of targeted players the BCCI felt would form part of their mix for the Under-19 World Cup in 2022.But in early 2020, Smaran had a stress fracture on his right shin. He played through pain, but eventually he had to listen to his body. He was advised to take eight months off the game.Fortunately for Smaran, the injury came around Covid lockdowns. It meant he didn’t miss much competitive cricket, but the long layoff from injury led to weight gain that hampered his form upon return.Smaran couldn’t quite make the same impression as he pushed for an India Under-19 berth. He was left out of the Under-19 World Cup, and India went on to win the tournament under Yash Dhull’s captaincy.R Smaran smashed an unbeaten 55 off 22 in the KSCA Maharaja T20 trophy on Tuesday•Maharaja T20″It felt like the world had ended,” he says about not being selected for the Under-19 World Cup. “I didn’t look forward to anything for the next month. My coach Syed Zabiullah, he’s like family to me. He lifted me up and told me this isn’t the end and there’s lots to look forward to. The main goal should be representing Karnataka at the highest level.”Smaran had two prolific seasons after he fully regained his fitness, but found it hard to break into the Karnataka setup. Until a debut finally came late last year.”I’m glad that it happened last year,” he says. “So overall, I think a lot of credit goes to Syed sir for pushing me throughout during the off-season as well. And also me for putting that effort into training, gym and also hitting the nets.”Smaran’s journey is an ode to his dedication. It was particularly tough because he didn’t come from a family that had anything to do with sport. His father, a mechanical engineer, makes solar inverters. His mother, a housewife, wanted her son to also be an engineer.
I just lacked the confidence [when I started last season]. But now I feel that while I’m still not there, I’ve gotten a step better in terms of knowing my game well.”Smaran on his game
“But the way I progressed, even my mom now keeps asking me, when I’m going to do my Masters,” Smaran, who has a bachelor’s degree in commerce, laughs.”After I represented the state in age-groups, they were like, okay, you can pursue commerce now and pursue cricket,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of conflict between me and my parents (laughs), but I think they’ve really supported me throughout and they’ve let me pursue what I love. But yeah, lot of engineers in the family.”As he looks ahead, Smaran is focused on trying to tick another box. “To bring home the Ranji Trophy for Karnataka,” he says. It’s something they haven’t been able to achieve since 2014-15.”I just lacked the confidence [when he started last season]. But now I feel that while I’m still not there, I’ve gotten a step better in terms of knowing my game well. The main goal while batting is to win games for your team. Whichever team that is, and the rest will take care of itself.”