In red-hot kind, Ravichandran Smaran strengthened his case for greater honours with a preventing unbeaten 126 that put Remainder of India in management towards Jammu & Kashmir within the Irani Cup on the Sher-I-Kashmir Stadium on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Karnataka left-hander, not too long ago named his state’s captain for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, struck 126 not out off 131 balls, with 15 fours and 5 sixes. It was his seventh first-class century in simply his twentieth match.
RoI had been in hassle at 197/8 on Day Three after Akash Deep fell for 1. Earlier, captain Rishabh Pant, who was unwell and walked in at No. 8, was trapped lbw by off-spinner Sahil Lotra for 8, whereas vice-captain Sarfaraz Khan fell for a uncommon five-ball duck, caught at slip off Umar Nazir.
Smaran then took cost. He added an unbroken 109 for the ninth wicket with No. 10 Mukesh Choudhary, who battled for 47 balls for 9 not out. The stand could but show decisive, lifting RoI to 306/8 at stumps and increasing their result in 265.
Having top-scored with 68 within the first innings, Smaran once more confirmed the category that introduced him 950 runs at 86.36 for Karnataka within the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. He reached his hundred off 113 balls after which smashed 26 off the following 18, attacking the J&Ok bowlers in fading mild.
J&Ok had been left to rue repeated lapses. Their bowlers despatched down 21 no-balls, with Umar Nazir alone overstepping 15 occasions within the innings and 22 occasions within the match. Nazir had Smaran given lbw on 104, with RoI at 237, however the no-ball buzzer saved the batter.
Shubham Pundir additionally dropped a catch within the slips and appeared too deep for an additional regulation probability.
Lotra was J&Ok’s greatest bowler, ending the day with 3/71 in 26 overs.
