Rest of India defeated Jammu & Kashmir by 167 runs at Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar, between October 1 and 4, 2026. Ravichandran Smaran played a decisive role in the victory with strong performances across both innings. The 23-year-old Karnataka batter was named Player of the Match for his contributions.
Smaran scored 68 in the first innings off 83 balls, hitting 8 fours and 1 six. In the second innings, he remained unbeaten on 135 off 153 balls, striking 16 fours and 5 sixes. His second-innings knock proved crucial in setting up Rest of India’s winning total.
“I have played these types of knocks back in Karnataka even during my U-23 days, so some experience comes in. Mukesh (Choudhary) was there with me and he played an important part. Glad we could get the win,” Smaran said at the post-match presentation.
His approach and batting strength
Smaran added 113 runs with Mukesh Choudhary during the second innings, a partnership that strengthened Rest of India’s position in the match. The batter explained his approach throughout the contest, noting that consistency in his method proved effective across both innings. Throughout the match, Smaran maintained a positive mindset that guided his batting decisions in both innings.
“Nothing much changed. First innings also, my approach was the same – to play positive cricket. Glad everyone could chip in with runs and put up a total we could defend,” he added.
The youngster’s strength against loose deliveries was evident in his stroke play throughout the contest. He identified his areas of strength and capitalised on any opportunity presented by the opposition bowlers.
“I did not notice it while batting. Outside off is my strength and anything that was loose, I put it away for a boundary,” Smaran explained.
The Karnataka batter’s form in the Irani Cup came after a strong domestic season. In the previous Ranji Trophy season, Smaran was the highest run-scorer with 950 runs across 9 matches at an average of 86.36, including 4 hundreds and 3 fifties. He was named Karnataka captain for the opening Ranji Trophy game of the current season, with Devdutt Padikkal on India A duty.
