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Acquisition of the accurate phase currents is indispensable for the control and protection of switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives for electric transportation applications. Existing phase current reconstruction techniques for SRM are implemented under the current control techniques, which generate large torque pulsations. Therefore, the direct torque control (DTC) method can be adopted to minimize torque pulsations and to enhance transient performance in electrified vehicles. However, the existing current estimation methods cannot be applied to DTC strategies due to the simultaneous conduction of all phases at any switching instant. Furthermore, it offers a lower torque per ampere ($T/A$) ratio and draws a high source current. This article addresses the aforementioned concerns by proposing a cost-effective phase current reconstruction method with an improved DTC strategy for a 4-kW four-phase SRM drive. This method employs a 16-sector partition method with a new voltage vector selection by detecting zero-current regions of each phase. As a result, the long-tail currents can be avoided, thereby limiting the simultaneous conduction of all phases. The simulation and test results show that the proposed DTC has minimal torque pulsations, high $T/A$ ratio, low converter losses, and lower source current ripple in comparison to the existing DTC schemes under various operating conditions. Also, the proposed phase current estimation method effectively reconstructs the phase currents under both steady-state and transient operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]