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Karun Nair back in Karnataka squad for 2025-26 domestic season

Karun Nair back in Karnataka squad for 2025-26 domestic season

Karun Nair back in Karnataka squad for 2025-26 domestic season Photograph: (AFP)

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Karun Nair has enjoyed a superb spell in domestic cricket in 2024-25 before receiving his no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association on Monday evening. 

Veteran Indian batter Karun Nair is all set for a return to Karnataka for the 2025-26 domestic season after a successful spell with Vidarbha. Nair, currently in England for the Test series for India, will represent Karnataka, where he first made his name. He has enjoyed a superb spell in domestic cricket in 2024-25 before receiving his no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association on Monday evening.

Nair set for Karnataka return

Having lost his place in the national team, Nair worked hard on his fitness and spent time away from Karnataka helping Vidarbha win the Ranji Trophy for the third time. He, along with Wasim Jaffer, were instrumental in Vidarbha’s revival in recent times. Nair’s performances did not go unnoticed as he earned a recall to the Indian team for the England tour, but he has largely been unsuccessful in cementing a place in the side.

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Nair scored 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries at 53.93 during the 2024-25 red-ball season and was one of the best batters during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Nair rewarded for excellent domestic show

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There were muted conversations for Nair to be included in the Indian team for the Champions Trophy after he scored 779 runs in seven innings that included five centuries. This was also the most hundreds scored by any player in a single season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

So far on the England tour, Nair has scored 131 runs in six innings, averaging 21.83 with a best of 40 in the first innings of the Lord’s Test match. He warmed up for the series with a double-century for India A against England Lions in Beckenham, Nair has so far produced scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 in the three Tests; his four most recent knocks coming at No. 3.

About the Author

Aditya Vidyadhar Pimpale

Parth Seth is a research fellow at India Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, where he studies the themes of development, foreign policy, and multilateralism, particularly in ...Read More