R Smaran continued with his golden run, this time smashing a valiant 38-ball 72 against Delhi at Ahmedabad in the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Smaran blitz goes in vain
Chasing 233 in Ahmedabad, Karnataka were rocked by Ishant Sharma (2-36) and Digvesh Rathi (2-30) before Smaran walked out at 48-3. Devdutt Padikkal (62 in 38 balls, eight fours, two sixes) and Smaran launched a ferocious counterattack, putting on 76 in 38 balls before Ishant got the former.
Also read: R Smaran – A future all-format star in the making
After 18 overs, Karnataka still stood with a chance (they needed 43 in the last two overs), but Ayush Badoni (4-12) got Smaran with the first ball of the over. By then, Smaran had smashed 72 in 38 balls with three fours and six sixes. Badoni struck twice more in the over before Prince Yadav cleaned up the tail at the other end.
Earlier, Priyansh Arya (62 in 33 balls), Badoni (53 in 35), Nitish Rana (46 not out in 28), and Tejasvi Dahiya (53 not out in 19) had helped Delhi post 232-3 even as Shubhang Hegde returned 2-31.
Smaran is in incredible form this season. He hit two unbeaten double tons in three games, against Kerala and Chandigarh, punctuated by a half-century against Maharashtra. In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has 265 runs (the third-most) while averaging 88.33 and striking at 158: he has been dismissed below fifty only once.
Match 90, Delhi vs Karnataka
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- Ball by ball Over
R Smaran in domestic cricket
| Format | Runs | Highest | Average | SR | 100s | 50s |
| First-class | 1179 | 227* | 78.60 | 61 | 4 | 3 |
| List A | 433 | 101 | 72.16 | 100 | 2 | 2 |
| Twenty20 | 435 | 72 | 54.37 | 162 | 0 | 3 |
