Cricket veteran Karun Nair continued his impressive domestic run, smashing a magnificent double century that firmly placed Karnataka in a dominant position on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy clash against Kerala.
The match began challenging for Karnataka. After winning the toss and opting to bat, they quickly found themselves in trouble at 13 for 2. However, Nair, alongside Krishnan Shrijith (65), skillfully stabilized the innings, building a crucial 124-run partnership.
The turning point arrived with Nair’s formidable 297-run fourth-wicket stand with Ravichandran Smaran, who remained unbeaten on 139. This massive partnership propelled Karnataka towards a formidable first-innings total.
Nair’s monumental innings was a display of aggressive yet controlled batting, featuring 21 exquisite boundaries and two powerful sixes.
The talented batsman’s journey has seen its share of disappointments. He was notably dropped from the Indian Test team following the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar publicly stated that selectors “expected a little bit more” from Nair during the England tour. Further setbacks included being overlooked for the West Indies series and failing to secure a spot in the India A squad for the upcoming red-ball series against South Africa A.
Despite these national team snubs, the 33-year-old Nair has consistently let his bat do the talking. His recall to the India squad was largely fueled by an incredible tally of 1,553 runs in the Ranji Trophy over the preceding two seasons for Vidarbha.
Maintaining his focus, Nair recently scored 73 and 8 in the season opener against Saurashtra, followed by an unbeaten 174 against Goa last week, an innings he regrettably couldn’t convert into a double century due to a lack of partners.
Speaking to the media after his Goa knock, Nair openly shared his perspective: “There are certain goals that I’ve set for myself, which I wouldn’t want to talk about. But the primary goal is to win games for the team.”
He didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment regarding the national selectors’ decisions. “It’s quite disappointing (being dropped), but I know I deserve to be there after the last two years of domestic cricket I’ve had. People might have their own opinions, but personally, I believe I deserve a lot better,” he asserted.
With an unwavering spirit, Karun reiterated his commitment: “All I can do is keep scoring runs — that’s my job. I just keep telling myself that I deserve more than a series. I don’t want that to affect my mindset. All I want is to play for the country. That’s the only target. If not, then I’ll focus on winning games for the side I’m playing for.”