Follow UsIt is hard to keep Smaran Ravichandran out of runs at the moment, as the Karnataka star continued his red-hot streak with a century off 120 balls against Punjab at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on January 24.
The stylish left-handed batter has been batting like a man possessed, with his second century on the trot after 101 against Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 final. Having walked in to bat at a tricky position (59/2), the left-hander batted with class oozing out, smashing 15 fours and two sixes in his century.
What a ton for Smaran R. No better way for the 21 year old to get his first Hundred in the #RanjiTrophy
— Chandra Prabhu S (@bettercallCP) January 24, 2025
Two tons in less than a week is not at all bad. KAR 233/4@nanuramu @karnataka_sport pic.twitter.com/weGsj9c8j3
In particular, Smaran took on Punjab Kings’ newbie Harnoor Brar, smashing 34 off 40 balls, including six fours. Smaran didn’t spare Aradhya Shukla either, with 31 off 48, with five boundaries, including a six.
It is hard to believe that the left-hander was ignored at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, especially after his stellar showing at the Maharaja T20 Trophy, where he scored 302 runs, including a clutch century for Gulbarga Mystics.
Since the snub, the left-hander has been quite a different batter, with 433 runs in List A cricket, averaging 72.16, and 170 runs in T20s, striking at 170. While the red-ball format was the one where he didn’t quite pick up momentum, the 21-year-old struck that off with a rampant century against Punjab, extending Karnataka's lead to over 200 runs.
*Photo Courtesy: Deccan Herald