India, Nov. 19 -- The Karnataka Ranji Trophy team has been the launchpad for many batters to realise their dream of playing for India. In the last decade, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal and Manish Pandey have all made the transition, on the weight of runs scored and quality seen in them.

Ravichandran Smaran is the latest Karnataka batter who is making a splash with his ability to play big innings and consistency. The ongoing Ranji season reads like the youngster is finally stepping into the version of himself he always felt he could be.

The 22-year-old is enjoying a sensational stretch in first-class cricket, the latest an unbeaten 227 in the win over Chandigarh, two games after an unbeaten 220 against Kerala. Th...