Ravichandran Smaran is the latest Karnataka batter who is making a splash with his ability to play big innings and consistency. The ongoing Ranji season reads like the youngster is finally stepping into the version of himself he always felt he could be.

The 22-year-old is enjoying a sensational stretch in first-class cricket, the latest an unbeaten 227 in the win over Chandigarh, two games after an unbeaten 220 against Kerala. The left-handed middle-order batter’s last eight outings have been first-class games. And they have yielded 1,034 runs at an average of 114.9, with three double centuries, one hundred and three fifties.

The only game in this sequence where he didn’t get at least a fifty was against Goa.

The two double hundreds in his latest Ranji high comes after surviving the quiet phases, injuries, and lapses in concentration that threaten to pull apart a long innings.

With Karnataka flying across formats and his own confidence peaking, Smaran points to momentum, discipline and the breakthrough. The 595 runs at an average of 119 and two double hundreds this season point to the Bengaluru player finding a rhythm whose seeds were sown when as an eight-year-old he joined an academy at the MS Ramaiah City Layout under Syed Zabiullah – the coach who still keeps him anchored.

After his match-winning double hundred against Chandigarh, Smaran told HT, “To convert a hundred into a double is always a special feeling. I didn’t think I would get two double hundreds in a single season, so I’m feeling good and looking forward to continuing the momentum.”

Smaran, who admits he was naughty and restless as a kid, says his mother’s decision to enrol him in a cricket academy was good. He was always interested in the game and being a left-hander looked up to Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Hussey, but the grind and training helped expand his horizons.

“My mom took me to the academy, telling me to keep myself busy and not trouble her at home,” Smaran laughs. “Syed sir was really big on discipline…he still is. Immediately, I got a reality check. I was young then, but he continues to give me life lessons…how to handle things and how to go about things. I’m really grateful to have him in my life.”

Smaran, who made his Ranji debut in October last year, also made news in IPL when he was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad as injury replacement for Adam Zampa. Although he had to pull out due to a finger fracture, he believes the work he was able to put in during the long off-season that followed is showing results. It proved to be a great learning experience. And his recent retention by SRH shows the promise the franchise sees in him as a T20 batter too.

Smaran being scouted wasn’t a surprise as he had scored heaps of runs in domestic cricket. In his first Ranji season in 2024-25, he scored 516 runs (avg 64.50). Last year, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day tournament, he scored 433 runs (avg 72.16) with two centuries and two fifties. He scored 76 in the semi-final against Haryana and was Player-of-the-Match with a 92-ball 101 in the final against Vidarbha.

“After the (finger) injury, I had a couple of months to work on my game. I knew I was batting well, but just wanted to (work on) bat in those phases during a long innings when there’s a lapse in concentration.

“I focused on batting long and getting the team to a stage where we’re comfortable and can push for an outright win. So, just seeing out those sessions without playing loose shots was the focus, because when you’re batting well, it’s easy to throw it away since almost all balls are coming onto the bat.”

With the Ranji season hitting a pause, Smaran will prepare for the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign that begins on November 26. “Last year, we won the Vijay Hazare, and this year we’re at the top of the table (in Elite Group B). Hopefully we can continue the momentum into the Syed Mushtaq Ali.”