3 players who could be the next big Test cricket stars
From record-breaking domestic seasons to historic title wins, these three cricketers are making a strong case for Test recognition.
2. Ravichandran Smaran
Ravichandran Smaran is a left-handed middle-order batter who plays for Karnataka. He was part of the South Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy and has also featured in India A's red-ball setup.
Smaran was the leading run-scorer in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, finishing with 950 runs from 9 matches at a remarkable average of 86.36. He struck 4 centuries and 3 fifties across 14 innings. One of the highlights of his campaign was a 343-run fourth-wicket partnership with Karun Nair against Kerala, which was the highest partnership of any wicket in that edition of the tournament. Karnataka reached the final but finished as runners-up, losing to Jammu and Kashmir. Smaran's capacity to build long innings and convert starts into big scores is a quality that selectors look for in Test candidates.
Download Our App