Adam Zampa, who is unable to play in the 2025 Indian Premier League because of an injury, has been replaced by Smaran Ravichandran of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The Hyderabad-based team made an intriguing move by substituting a batter for a bowler.
However, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who had their eye on him, must have been unhappy by this signing. Smaran surprised everyone during the preseason practice matches while he was in the RCB camp.
He was in position to replace one of the injured players after hitting an incredible 88 in just 33 balls during one of the practice matches. Smaran was retained as a net player by RCB, who had no injury concerns and intended to rope him at any time.
He was supposed to take Manoj Bhandage’s position, but that didn’t work out because Bhandage was healthy enough to take part. Perhaps RCB would have regretted this lost chance if they had purchased him at the IPL 2025 auction.
How Smaran Ravichandran would have fit perfectly in the RCB setup
Smaran Ravichandran would have bolstered the club and was a wonderful match for RCB in the 2025 Indian Premier League. He may have taken Devdutt Padikkal’s place in the starting lineup because he is an LHB with top-order batting ability.
Compared to Padikkal, who has limitations as a T20 hitter, Smaran is more aggressive and possesses a stronger power game. In T20 cricket, he knocks a boundary per four deliveries and has a career strike rate of 170.
Smaran Ravichandran replaced leg-spinner Adam Zampa .
Smaran scored 88 runs off 33 balls in the RCB practice match pic.twitter.com/bsu6UFdEOn
— Chakri Goud 🧡🦅 (@Chakrigoud2211) April 14, 2025Smaran would have brought a higher desire to maximize the powerplay, but Padikkal has been inconsistent in the 2025 Indian Premier League. As an LHB, he so adds variation and makes the batting unit more dynamic.
He can bat in a variety of positions and is equally effective against pace and spin. Padikkal is a one-dimensional batter who doesn’t fit in many places because of his short range.
Smaran Ravichandran’s heroics in the Maharaja T20 Trophy
Smaran Ravichandran stole the show during the 2024 Maharaja T20 Trophy thanks to his incredible skills. In nine innings, he amassed 302 runs, including two fifties and a century, at an average of 43.14 and a strike rate of 145.19.
Additionally, following an outstanding performance in the local league, he earned his domestic debut for Karnataka in all forms. He has represented his home team in six Twenty20 matches, ten List A games, and seven First Class games.
This is Smaran R, SRH's replacement pick.
Performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy:
-7 innings
-433 runs
-Avg: 72 🔥
-2 Hundreds pic.twitter.com/dg6hMyL3L0
— Varun Giri (@Varungiri0) April 14, 2025Although Devdutt Padikkal is a talented player, Smaran was consistently superior in Twenty20 cricket. RCB must be sad to see such a gifted batter leave after spending enough time in their camp, but SRH made the right decision by enlisting him.
