Karun Nair slams century against Kerala in Ranji Trophy; continues blistering run after India A snub | Cricket News
Out-of-favour India batter Karun Nair continued his fine run of form with a solid unbeaten 142 to steer Karnataka to 319 for three on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match against Kerala on Saturday. Opting to bat first, Karnataka suffered early setbacks as openers Aneesh KV (8) and captain Mayank Agarwal (5) fell cheaply. Nair then steadied the innings, first combining with wicketkeeper Krishnan Shrijith (65 off 110 balls) for a crucial stand that set the platform for recovery. At stumps, Karun was unbeaten on 142, accompanied by Smaran Ravichandran, who was batting on 88 off 143 deliveries. Their unbroken partnership ensured Karnataka ended the day in control. Nair’s innings included 14 boundaries and two sixes, underlining his authority at the crease. Earlier, Shrijith’s 10 fours helped maintain the scoring tempo through the middle overs. For Kerala, MD Nideesh (1/41), Nedumankuzhy Basil (1/58) and Baba Aparajith (1/65) were the wicket-takers on a day that belonged largely to Karnataka’s middle order. This knock marked Nair’s second century of the season following his unbeaten 174 against Goa in the previous round, and also took him past 9,000 runs in First-Class cricket. The 33-year-old became only the sixth Karnataka batter to achieve the milestone, joining Rahul Dravid, G. Vishwanath, Brijesh Patel, Syed Kirmani, and Robin Uthappa. Nair, who last played for India in the five-match Test series against England earlier this year, has now scored two centuries and a half-century this season, further bolstering his case for a national comeback. However, his omission from the India A squad for the South Africa A red-ball matches signaled the ‘end of the road’ for him in Tests.
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He even spoke up about the same, and told TOI that he’s “only going to play the Ranji Trophy.”Brief Scores: At Thiruvananthapuram: Karnataka 319/3 in 90 overs (Karun Nair 142*, Smaran Ravichandran 88*, Krishnan Shrijith 65; MD Nideesh 1/41, Nedumankuzhy Basil 1/58, Baba Aparajith 1/65). PTI
