In a brilliant display of batting mastery, Karun Nair hammered an unbeaten 174 runs for Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy 2025/26 clash against Goa at the KSCA Navule Stadium in Shimoga. This impactful knock followed his solid 73-run contribution in the tournament’s opening round.
Karun Nair (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)
Despite Arjun Tendulkar and Vasuki Koushik each taking three wickets for the opposition, the seasoned Karnataka batsman remained steadfast. Nair elegantly brought up his century on the opening day and looked set to achieve a magnificent double century on Day 2.
However, his bid for a double century was regrettably halted when the final batsman, Vidhwath Kaverappa, was run out, bringing Karnataka’s innings to a close at a respectable total of 371 runs.
This exceptional innings serves as a powerful declaration from Nair, especially after his recent omission from the Indian Test team. His performance clearly demonstrates an unyielding resolve to fight his way back into the international cricket arena.
Nair had previously made a significant return to the Indian squad in June, ending an eight-year hiatus. This came on the back of a stellar performance in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy season, securing him the crucial No. 3 batting position after cricketing giants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired in May.
However, his most recent international outing proved to be a challenging one. Across four matches, he managed 205 runs at an average of 25.62, frequently failing to capitalize on promising starts and convert them into big scores.
Consequently, the 33-year-old was omitted from the Test squad for the home series against West Indies. Further reinforcing a potential shift in the selection committee’s strategy, he was also left out of the India A series against South Africa A.
India’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, addressed the situation in a recent press conference, stating, “We expected more from Karun Nair in England. It cannot be about just one innings. Devdutt Padikkal offers us more options. While we aim to give every player 15-20 chances, it’s not always feasible.”