Follow UsYou cannot keep Karun Nair out of the news, can you? The Karnataka batter is once again among the runs, smashing yet another century in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season. This time, the veteran batter has slammed a century against Kerala in Mangalapuram, his 26th score in excess of 100 in first-class cricket.
In doing so, he has also crossed 9,000 first-class runs. The 33-year-old started the innings with 8,930 runs and is now among elite Karnataka cricketers like Rahul Dravid, G. Vishwanath, Brijesh Patel, Syed Kirmani, and Robin Uthappa to have crossed the landmark.
Karun has been in excellent form this season. He started off with 73 against Saurashtra and then against Goa, he slammed a magnificent 174* off 267. Another century in the third round of the Ranji Trophy surely puts him in firm contention for a place in the India squad for their home Tests against South Africa, starting November 14.
The Karnataka batter was dropped from the Test series against the West Indies, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar stating that they expected more from the batter in England, where he slammed just one fifty in eight innings on his return to the Indian side after eight years.
Karun was miffed with the decision as he believed he deserved more than a series given his run-scoring record in the domestic circuit. "There’s nothing much for me to say. I just keep telling myself that I deserve more than a series. That’s all I can tell myself, and not let that get into my head. All I want to do is to play for the country," he had said about his omission from the West Indies Tests.
Since making his Test debut in 2016, Karun has played 10 Tests for India and scored 579 runs at 41.35. He is also one of just two Indian batters to have scored a triple century in Test cricket.