By Krishna Dua 
SRH Signs Smaran Ravichandran After Zampa Injury in IPL 2025
Hyderabad, November 18, 2025 – Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pulled off a timely talent grab in the IPL 2025 season by signing uncapped Karnataka all-rounder Smaran Ravichandran as an injury replacement for Adam Zampa on April 15, 2025, a move that added much-needed spin depth and batting verve to the Orange Brigade’s squad during a crucial phase of the tournament. The 21-year-old left-handed batsman and off-spinner, who had been turning heads in domestic cricket with his economical bowling and aggressive strokeplay, stepped into the high-pressure IPL arena amid Zampa’s debilitating shoulder injury, making his debut against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 17 with a promising 2 for 24 and a quickfire 22 off 14 balls. As SRH finished third in the league stage with 16 points from 14 matches—their strongest showing since the 2018 runners-up finish—this uncapped acquisition for ₹30 lakh proved to be a masterstroke under coach Daniel Vettori, with Ravichandran claiming 9 wickets at an economy of 7.40 and contributing 140 runs at a strike rate of 138 across 11 matches. With the IPL 2026 mega auction on the horizon in December and retention deadlines looming on November 26, Ravichandran’s breakout performance has catapulted him into SRH’s long-term plans, potentially earning a spot in the ₹120 crore purse as an uncapped gem. As Hyderabad’s temperatures ease to a comfortable 27°C under clear skies, November 18 offers a retrospective glow on a decision born of necessity, a narrative of nascent brilliance that could propel SRH back to title contention in the world’s richest T20 league.
The IPL 2025 season, the 18th edition orchestrated by the BCCI from March 22 to May 26 across 10 venues, was a whirlwind of wicket-taking wizardry and wide-ranging narratives, with SRH’s mid-season maneuver for Ravichandran emerging as one of its understated underdogs. The tournament, broadcast by Star Sports and JioCinema to 500 million viewers, featured 74 matches and 10 teams battling for the ₹20 crore winner’s purse, but SRH’s arc—from a 5-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 23 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium to a thrilling playoff exit—highlighted their spin vulnerabilities. Zampa, the Australian leg-spinner bought for ₹2.4 crore in the December 2024 mini-auction, was SRH’s middle-overs maestro, snaring 6 wickets at 7.60 economy in the first five games, including a pivotal 3/19 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 6. However, a rotator cuff tear sustained during nets on April 13 sidelined him for the season, per Cricket Australia’s April 16 confirmation. “Zampa’s variations were our secret sauce; his absence was a gut punch,” SRH captain Pat Cummins lamented in a April 17 presser. The void was glaring: SRH’s spin economy deteriorated from 7.10 to 9.20 in the subsequent three matches, hemorrhaging 55 runs in the middle overs against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 14. Maneuver? Masterful—SRH’s mid-season, Ravichandran’s revelation.
Adam Zampa’s injury was a thunderbolt from the blue for SRH, the 33-year-old Aussie wrist-spinner—snapped for ₹2.4 crore in the 2024 mini-auction—proving an instant asset with his deceptive googlies and flippers that bamboozled batsmen in the powerplay and death. Zampa, with 85 IPL wickets at 7.50 economy since 2019 with RCB, had been SRH’s X-factor, his 3/19 vs RCB on April 6 a career highlight. The April 13 rotator cuff tear, a grade 2 strain from a hyperextension during a yorker drill, ruled him out for 10-12 weeks, Cricket Australia’s November 18 retrospective confirming the timeline. “Adam’s absence left a massive hole; his economy of 7.60 was gold in Hyderabad’s heat,” Cummins reflected in a November 15 podcast. The impact was immediate: SRH lost two of their next three games, conceding 180+ totals, with stand-in spinners leaking 10 runs per over. Thunderbolt? Thudding—Zampa’s zap, SRH’s setback.
Smaran Ravichandran, the uncapped prodigy summoned from the domestic wilderness, is a story of serendipity and substance, the 21-year-old from Chennai—born March 15, 2004, to a Tamil Brahmin engineer father and teacher mother—merging left-handed batting bravado with off-spin acumen that punches above its weight. Ravichandran’s roots run deep in Padur, a Chennai suburb where his father’s makeshift nets nurtured the art of flighted temptations, instilling a love for the crease that blossomed by age 16. Captaining Tamil Nadu’s U-19 side to the 2020 Vinoo Mankad Trophy final, he harvested 18 wickets at 5.50 economy and 250 runs at 125 strike rate, a dual dynamo that earned him a senior call-up. Domestic deeds dazzled: The 2024 Ranji Trophy saw him snare 22 wickets at 6.20 for Tamil Nadu, including a 6/45 demolition of Kerala, while the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy yielded 12 wickets at 6.50 and 150 runs at 140 SR, his unbeaten 104 off 70 balls for Gulbarga Mystics in the Maharaja T20 Trophy (August 2024) a viral virtuoso. Uncapped at the 2025 mini-auction, Ravichandran’s ₹30 lakh signing as Zampa’s deputy was a diamond in the rough, a gamble that glittered. Story? Serendipitous—Ravichandran’s rise, SRH’s revelation.
SRH’s IPL 2025 campaign, helmed by Pat Cummins’ pragmatic piloting since 2024, was a rollercoaster of redemption and resolve, the Orange Brigade clinching third place with 16 points from 14 matches—their finest finish since the 2018 runners-up berth. The season sparked with a 5-wicket conquest of GT on March 23 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Abhishek Sharma’s 75 off 45 balls the ignition. Initial hiccups—defeats to DC (April 5) and Punjab Kings (April 8)—laid bare spin shortcomings, Zampa’s April 13 injury exacerbating the exposure. Ravichandran’s April 17 debut vs LSG at Ekana Stadium was an elixir: 2/24 in 4 overs, snaring Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya, and a sprightly 22 off 14 (2 fours, 1 six) that steadied the 6-wicket chase. Campaign? Cohesive—SRH’s surge, Ravichandran’s spark.
Ravichandran’s IPL 2025 imprint was immediate and indelible, the novice’s nerve in 11 matches netting 9 wickets at 7.40 economy and 140 runs at 138 strike rate, his 3/25 vs KKR on May 1 a playoff pivot that propelled SRH to the Eliminator. Debut dazzle: Vs LSG, googly deceiving Pooran (caught deep midwicket). Middle-order mettle: 28 off 16 vs GT (May 5), two sixes off Rashid Khan. Economy excellence: 6.90 powerplay, 8.10 death, per CricViz analytics. Imprint? Indelible—Ravichandran’s ripple, SRH’s renaissance.
Expert endorsements on Ravichandran’s recruitment are effusive and emphatic, Harsha Bhogle Cricbuzz November 18: “Smaran’s Syed Mushtaq Ali wizardry—12 wickets at 6.50—screams sensation; Zampa’s void, SRH’s vindication.” Sanjay Manjrekar ESPNcricinfo: “₹30 lakh for an uncapped oracle—Ravichandran’s wrist-spin rivals Chahal’s youth; SRH’s steal.” Endorsements? Effusive—experts’ echo, recruitment’s rapture.
Prospects for Ravichandran shimmer with promise, IPL 2026 retention probable at ₹4.5 crore uncapped, India A summons January 2026 vs England Lions. Prospects? Promising—shimmer’s shine, leg-spin legacy.
November 18, 2025, signs SRH’s Ravichandran—Zampa’s injury, IPL 2025’s inflection. From season’s seismic to injury’s impactful, Ravichandran’s serendipitous to campaign’s cohesive, imprint’s indelible to endorsements’ effusive, prospects’ promising—sign’s saga, SRH’s summit