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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Cricket gave him another chance': Sanjay Manjrekar says Karun Nair failed to grab opportunity after 'emotional story'
There have been quite a few murmurs of Karun Nair having possibly exhausted his last chance to have a decent run in the Indian Test team after he was dropped from the side for the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. Nair's stellar performance in domestic cricket last year prompted his return to the Indian Test team after eight years. However, in the three Tests he has played this series, Nair managed scores of 0, 20 playing at No.6 in the first Test. He was then moved up to his preferred No.3 spot after Sudharsan was dropped but then only put up scores of 31, 26, 40 and 14. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has now said that it is unfortunate that Nair couldn't grab the second chance he got in international cricket. 'It was an emotional story where he said, 'Cricket, give me another chance'. Cricket gave him another chance,' said Manjrekar on JioStar, referring to Nair's viral 'give me one more chance' tweet in December 2022. 'Unfortunately, he wasn't able to catch it. And, you know, we have Sai Sudarshan coming back. So that was the story. Good to see Sai Sudarshan back, because I thought he should have played the second test as well.' It had earlier looked like India would retain Karun for the Old Trafford Test, with Gill defending his the 33-year-old's poor returns in the pre-match press conference. 'We think Karun is batting well,' he said. 'The first match he didn't really play at his number (batted at 6). It's difficult when a player is making a comeback in a series like this, you know. But I don't think there's been any issue with his batting. Sometimes it's also about getting that click, you know. Once you're able to make your 50, then you're able to get back into your zone and get some big runs. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened for him so far.' Nair's performance in this series is a bit of a surprise considering he showed good form in the matches he played in England leading up to it. After a double century in Canterbury in a tour match, followed by a 40 in Northampton in the second pratice game, Karun got his chance to return to Test cricket after a long gap. In domestic cricket, Nair will return to Karnataka after a hiatus of three years for the upcoming domestic season after Vidarbha Cricket Association granted him the No Objection Certificate (NOC), reported PTI. Karun played a major role in Vidarbha's title-winning run in the 2024-25 season, scoring 863 runs at an average of 53 and he also made a hundred in the final against Kerala. He had a six-month streak where he scored 1,897 runs and nine centuries across formats for Vidarbha, concluding with a Ranji Trophy title.

The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Karun Nair to return to home state Karnataka for the upcoming domestic season
Batter Karun Nair is set to return to his home state of Karnataka for the upcoming domestic season, having obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA). Karun, who is currently with the Indian Test team in England, spent two fruitful seasons with Vidarbha. The 33-year-old made runs aplenty in Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy title run earlier this year. Karun also led Vidarbha to the Vijay Hazare Trophy final. His fine form earned him a Test cap after a gap of eight years. Karun will add experience to a young Karnataka batting lineup, which includes the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, R. Smaran and K.V. Aneesh. Karnataka suffered a disappointing 2024-25 Ranji Trophy campaign, failing to make it to the knockout stages. Karun made his senior debut with Karnataka in 2012 (in a List A game), and last featured in a First Class match for Karnataka in 2022.


News18
22-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Karun Nair Set To Rejoin Karnataka After Obtaining NOC From Vidarbha Cricket Association: Report
Karun Nair played a key role in Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy win and led them to a Vijay Hazare Trophy runners-up finish. Karun Nair is set for a return to Karnataka ahead of the upcoming domestic season, three years after his last appearance for the state team. Nair's switch back to Karnataka marks a significant turnaround in his domestic career. After being sidelined by Karnataka ahead of the 2021-22 season, he joined Vidarbha and played a key role in their resurgence. The middle-order batter, currently with the Indian Test squad in England, has received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, clearing the way for his return, ESPNcricinfo reported. Most notably, he was instrumental in Vidarbha's successful campaign that saw them clinch their third Ranji Trophy title earlier this year. He scored 863 runs across 16 innings at an average of 53.93, including four centuries – one of them a decisive knock in the final against Kerala. Ironically, Kerala had shown interest in signing Nair around the time of his Karnataka exit. His form across formats was equally impressive. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair led Vidarbha to runners-up finish as captain and emerged as the tournament's leading run-scorer. He amassed 779 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 124.01, registering five centuries in succession. Notably, he set a new List A record by scoring 542 runs without being dismissed – the most ever in that category. His domestic form earned him a long-awaited recall to the Indian Test side after more than eight years. However, Nair has struggled to replicate that consistency on the ongoing England tour. Following a double-century in a warm-up game for India A against England Lions, he has registered scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 across three Tests, mostly batting at No. 3. Back in Karnataka, Nair will enter a dressing room rich with batting depth. The likes of R Smaran, KL Shrijith and KV Aneesh enjoyed breakout seasons in 2024–25. Smaran led the team's Ranji scoring charts with 516 runs in ten innings while Shrijith marked his first-class debut with a century. With Devdutt Padikkal a fixture and Mayank Agarwal likely to continue as captain, Karnataka's selectors face a pleasant headache. Nair's return could also prompt a rethink of KSCA's youth-focused strategy – a shift underscored by recent exits of senior players like K Gowtham and Manish Pandey. Meanwhile, fast bowler V Koushik has secured an NOC to join Goa for the upcoming season. The 32-year-old late bloomer, who made his Ranji debut in 2019–20 after leaving a corporate job, has been a key figure in Karnataka's pace attack post the retirements of stalwarts R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Aravind. In the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, he topped Karnataka's wicket charts with 23 wickets in seven games at an average of 18.73, including two five-fors. With IANS Inputs view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.