India Test vice-captain KL Rahul and Karnataka's newly appointed captain Ravichandran Smaran are set to miss their state team's Round 2 fixture in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2026-27. Karnataka are scheduled to face Saurashtra in this encounter and are now hunting for a new face to lead the side, with key players like Rahul, Smaran and Devdutt Padikkal unavailable.

For the unversed, the aforementioned players are set to travel to New Zealand and join the India A squad for the tour of New Zealand, with the first unofficial Test set to get underway on October 24 in a four-day clash at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln. Meanwhile, the second round clash of the Ranji Trophy will begin on October 18 and run up until October 21, which will now allow the India A players to report well in time had they made themselves available for the Saurashtra tie.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Cricket Association is now on the lookout for a new captain to lead them in Smaran's absence. The obvious frontrunners to lead the eight-time champions are star batter Karun Nair and in-form all-rounder Shreyas Gopal. However, opening batter Mayank Agarwal may also be seen turning up as the interim skipper, keeping his seniority and past captaincy experience in mind.

Karnataka could not bear a fruitful result against Andhra in their campaign-opening fixture this season. The match was drawn, with Andhra gaining the first innings' lead. Smaran smashed a fighting 126 off 218 in the first innings to bring Karnataka's score to 273 from 22-4 at one point. However, it wasn't enough, as their bowlers conceded 418 to contain Andhra. Karun's unbeaten 155 in the second innings only allowed for a draw as four days of play could not enforce a result at Vijaywada.

KSCA, meanwhile, has yet to name the squad for the second-round fixture, which will be played at the Platinum Oval in Alur, but an announcement is expected shortly.

The New Zealand tour, meanwhile, is an important assignment for the India A squad, as it will be a shadow tour for the senior India team. The A team will be led by Dhruv Jurel, while mainstay members of the team like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar are also a part of the setup. Rishabh Pant's inclusion for the series is subject to fitness clearance.