Vidarbha’s Karun Nair delivered a stellar performance with the bat against Kerala on Day 4 of the Ranji Trophy final in Nagpur on Saturday, March 1. The right-hander reached his century off 184 balls, hitting two sixes and seven fours. This marked his 23rd first-class century.
Nair reached the milestone in the 59th over of Vidarbha’s second innings, guiding a delivery from Jalaj Saxena wide of mid-wicket for a single. The 33-year-old then raised nine fingers towards the dressing room, symbolizing his nine centuries in the domestic season.
Sharing the video on X, BCCI’s domestic handle captioned the post:
“100 for Karun Nair. A splendid knock on the big stage under pressure. It’s his 9th 100 in all formats combined this season, and the celebration says it all.”
You can watch the video here:
💯 for Karun Nair 👏
A splendid knock on the big stage under pressure 💪
It's his 9⃣th 1⃣0⃣0⃣ in all formats combined this season, and the celebration says it all👌🙌#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank | #Final
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/up5GVaflpp pic.twitter.com/9MvZSHKKMY
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) March 1, 2025
“That’s What Drives Me” – Karun Nair Aims for Team India Test Return
Karun Nair, a Test triple-centurion, shared his eagerness to return to India’s Test squad. In a 2024 interview (via ESPNcricinfo), he stated:
“I am just making sure if I get opportunities, wherever it may be, the focus is on making the most of those chances so that I can climb up the stairs again.”
”It’s still exciting to wake up each morning and dream of finding a way back to play Test cricket. That keeps me going. I would love to win trophies; we missed out in the Ranji last year. I will try to correct it this year.”
Despite scoring 779 runs in eight innings, including five centuries in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair was not selected for the 50-over series against England. Addressing the decision, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said (via India Today):
“Yeah, it was tough. Those are really special performances. Someone who averages 700-plus. We did have a chat. At the moment, finding a spot in the squad in this team is really difficult. Look at the guys who have been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s.”
“Unfortunately, you can’t fit everyone in a squad of 15. But those performances certainly make you take notice. If there is a loss of form (for a player) or injuries, there’s certainly going to be a conversation around him,” Agarkar added.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.