Vidarbha batter Karun Nair struck a sublime century during the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Final against Kerala in Nagpur. He achieved his eighth century of the season with a single in 184 balls. His knock was laced with four boundaries and two sixes.
The 33-year-old is having a fabulous run of form during the ongoing tournament. With his milestone against Kerala, Nair has now cracked 23 centuries in his First-Class career.
KARUN NAIR HUNDRED IN THE RANJI TROPHY FINAL. 💯
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 1, 2025
– The celebration from Nair is a statement for selectors. 🥶pic.twitter.com/k9bZkjks4a
Batting in the second innings on day four, with Vidarbha having taken a 37-run lead the previous night, Nair came in at number four after Kerala had dismissed the openers Parth Rekhade and Dhruv Shorey within the first three overs.
Nair formed a strong partnership with Danish Malewar. The two batters shared a game-defining 215-run stand in the previous innings too. His stroke-filled century off 184 balls not only helped him build a solid innings but also denied Kerala any chance of a rally. After 152 appearances, Nair surpassed 8,000 First-Class runs during the previous innings.
For the first time in a Ranji Trophy season, the right-handed batter has scored over 800 runs. Nair, who made a strong comeback to the limelight after an intense Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign last month, had an impressive showing in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy, accumulating 752 runs and five centuries in just seven innings.
In Vidarbha’s most recent league match against Hyderabad, Nair scored a century and followed it up with his 22nd First-Class century in the team’s quarterfinal victory over Tamil Nadu.
Playing his fourth Ranji Trophy final so far, this is Nair’s second hundred since his debut for Karnataka in 2013-14.
Nair’s journey in First-Class cricket began with a title-winning season for Karnataka in 2013-14, where they defeated Maharashtra in the final. The following year, he was named Player of the Match in the summit clash after scoring a remarkable 328 runs. It was the highest individual score ever in a Ranji Trophy final against Tamil Nadu. It helped Karnataka defend their crown.
While Nair has accumulated over 3,700 runs for Karnataka, his brief India Test career from 2016-17 saw him achieve a historic feat, becoming only the second Indian to score a Test triple century after Virender Sehwag, with an unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai.
During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, the Indian batting line-up once again witnessed mediocre performances. With Karun Nair performing well in the longer format, his milestones will knock on the doors of selectors for the England tour in June 2025.
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