Smaran's Heroics Help Karnataka Salvage Draw Against Haryana in Ranji Trophy

Bengaluru, Feb 2 (PTI) – Ravichandran Smaran once again showcased his remarkable batting prowess, scoring an unbeaten century as Karnataka concluded their Ranji Trophy campaign with a hard-fought draw against Haryana in their Elite Group C match on Saturday.

Despite Karnataka's resilience, Haryana had already secured their place in the knockouts alongside Kerala. Haryana topped the group with 29 points from seven matches, while Kerala finished second with 28 points. Karnataka ended fourth with 20 points, trailing Bengal (21).

Smaran Anchors Karnataka's Fightback​

Resuming their second innings at 108/3, Karnataka still trailed by 38 runs and faced an uphill battle to avoid defeat in their final league encounter. However, early setbacks saw them slump to 164/6 after losing Devdutt Padikkal (43), KL Shrijith (2), and Yashovardhan Parantap (12) within a span of 12 overs.

With the team leading by just 16 runs, Smaran (133* off 217 balls, 14 fours, 2 sixes) took charge, forming a crucial 98-run partnership with Hardik Raj (40 off 78 balls, 4 fours) for the seventh wicket. The duo not only steadied Karnataka’s innings but also consumed nearly 25 overs, denying Haryana any quick breakthroughs.

Once Hardik fell to Jayant Yadav, Karnataka had stretched their lead to 114. Smaran continued his fight, helping Karnataka reach 294/8 before Haryana agreed to a draw, realizing a successful chase was improbable given the time constraints.

Smaran’s Stellar Ranji Trophy Season​

Smaran emerged as Karnataka’s top run-scorer this season, amassing 516 runs in seven matches at an impressive average of 64.50, including two centuries. His consistency with the bat was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise underwhelming campaign for Karnataka.

Brief Scores​

Bengaluru:

• Karnataka: 304 & 294/8 in 89.5 overs (R Smaran 133*, KL Rahul 43, Devdutt Padikkal 43; Anshul Kamboj 3/40, Jayant Yadav 2/62)
• Haryana: 450 all out in 115.3 overs
• Result: Match drawn; Haryana 3 points, Karnataka 1 point

Indore:

• Madhya Pradesh: 670/7 decl. & 28/0
• Uttar Pradesh: 611 all out in 164 overs (Abhishek Goswami 186, Aryan Juyal 138, Madhvan Kaushik 80, Aditya Sharma 66; Saransh Jain 5/138)
• Result: Match drawn; Madhya Pradesh 3 points, Uttar Pradesh 1 point

With the group stage concluded, Haryana and Kerala now shift focus to the knockout rounds starting February 8.