BENGALURU: At times, a 950-run season can hang around a batter’s neck like a millstone but Ravichandran Smaran has not overburdened himself with expectations, and is keen for an encore to remain in the national reckoning.
Smaran was the highest run-getter in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, playing a vital role in Karnataka’s march to the final. He will launch his domestic campaign in the Duleep Trophy later this month.
“I don’t worry about expectations or burden myself with the thoughts of expectations on me as it is all about scoring as many runs as possible,” Smaran told PTI.
“It is all about practicing and training well ahead of a season to be in the right mindset,” he added.
But Smaran is keen to begin the new season on the right note, scoring heavily for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy to be played at the BCCI CoE.
“It is an important tournament for me as there will be a lot of eyes on this tournament. Runs scored there matter a lot and if I can have a good run then that will set the tone for me for the rest of the season.
“But my focus is on preparing well and I think the rest will fall in place,” he said.
But how did Smaran overcome a nearly six-month gap from red ball cricket to prepare for the domestic grind?
The left-hander’s last First-Class match was the Ranji Trophy final against Jammu and Kashmir at Hubballi in February.
“Yeah, it’s a very important question. It is a significant thing to do as I need to transfer my thoughts and batting from white-ball cricket which I have been playing between April and May through the IPL.
“So, it’s important to move over to red ball cricket and in that aspect the (state) league matches in Karnataka are helping me a lot to slip back into the red ball frame ahead of the season,” he said.
The 23-year-old has also been working on his game against spinners, which he feels is an important aspect of batting in domestic cricket.
“One thing about playing in domestic cricket is that you get to play against quality spinners on different surfaces in different parts of the country. You need to have a solid technique to get on top of that challenge.
“So, you need to have different shots like sweep and reverse sweep to unsettle their rhythm, and I am working on them ahead of the season,” he said.
While his run in red-ball cricket understandably gets all attention, Smaran is equally proficient in white ball formats.
A strike-rate of 155 in T20s and an average of 50.33 in List A matches showcase his comfort levels.
So, how does Smaran balances his game as per the demands of each format
“Let me make it clear that I would like to represent India in all formats. So, it comes down with practice and preparation I guess. Of course, I need to make that little mental and technical adjustment too.
“In T20s my strike-rate is now 155, and it’s all about pushing the boundaries and see how I can get that to 170 or 180 (strike-rate), and that’s one goal for the season. But as I said it all depends on my preparations,” he noted.
In that context, Smaran said retention by the Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2026 came as a massive motivation for him.
“It was a huge confidence booster for me to get retained by my IPL team, and a heartfelt thanks to the SRH management for keeping faith in me.
“Being part of the team helped me get used to the IPL atmosphere and when my turn came I went out with confidence, even though the matches did not pan out as I expected.”
He could score only 19 runs across six matches but the lessons he imbibed holds greater value in his nascent career.
“You learn a lot of things when you play alongside such cricketers, who have been dominating international cricket for a long time. You learn a lot from them by just watching or talking to them.
“You know, it’s more about the mental side of the game you pick up from them, like how to tackle consistent pressure or a particular situation rather than technical matters.”
Beyond his personal goals, Smaran also wants to see Karnataka go one step ahead and land a Ranji Trophy title this season.
“Lot of things are going on ahead of the season. I am playing alongside some of the seniors such as Shreyas Gopal in the ongoing state league. We are having a chat about the way forward.
“Hopefully, we can come together as a team and start preparing for the season ahead. It’s all about getting into the knockouts and then playing those three games well, which we nearly did last season. Hopefully, we can have a different result this year,” he signed off.