With an incredible undefeated score of 174 in Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy 2025–26 match against Goa, Indian batsman Karun Nair, who was recently left out of the Test squad for the West Indies series, delivered a strong message to the national selectors.
Karun Nair was left off of the Indian Test squad for South Africa and the West Indies. A series had attracted a lot of interest, particularly following his anticipated comeback earlier in the year. During the England tour, Karun Nair only managed 205 runs at an average of 25.62, which raised concerns about his uneven performance, according to the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar.
“In England, we anticipated more from Karun Nair.
It’s not about a single inning. Devdutt Padikkal gives us further choices. “We want to give every player at least 15 to 20 chances, but it is not always possible,” Agarkar had stated when the West Indies series roster was announced.
However, the seasoned batter, who made headlines in 2016 when he hit a triple century against England, is hoping to return to the national squad. Karun Nair entered the game when Karnataka’s score was 26/2. He used two key partnerships to steady the innings: a 94-run partnership with Shreyas Gopal (57) and a 60-run partnership with Vijaykumar Vyshak (31). His 25th First-Class century, which he achieved on the morning of Day 2, was his first after rejoining Karnataka following a stay with Vidarbha. He added three sixes and fourteen fours to his score as he continued to remain undefeated at 174 off 267 balls.
He was unfortunately denied a double century when Vidhwath Kaverappa, the final player, was run out while attempting an imaginary second run. However, Karnataka reached 371 thanks to Karun Nair efforts, providing their bowlers with a respectable total to defend. With 8,850 First-Class runs and an average close to 49, the 33-year-old has enjoyed a noteworthy run in the home circuit.
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