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Karun Nair’s Ranji knock stops short of double ton but reignites buzz; reminds Ajit Agarkar he’s far from finished
The knock of 174 was enough to send a reminder to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee that he is far from finished.
Karun Nair, who was recently dropped from the Indian Test team, followed up his first-round knock of 73 with an unbeaten 174 as Karnataka amassed 371 in their Ranji Trophy 2025/26 game against Goa at the KSCA Navule Stadium in Shimoga on Sunday. Despite getting denied a double century by his teammates, the knock was enough to send a reminder to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee that he is far from finished.
Nair waged a lone battle as Arjun Tendulkar and Vasuki Koushik picked up three wickets each against Karnataka. The veteran batter brought up his century on Day 1 of the contest and looked set for a well-deserved double on Day 2. However, the last man, Vidhwath Kaverappa’s run-out, denied him the milestone.
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However, the knock sent a loud and clear message to the BCCI selectors that he hasn't yet given up on his dreams of making a third comeback to the Indian team, despite the committee having shut the door on him.
Earlier in June, Nair had returned to the Indian team after eight years, riding on a breathtaking show in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy season. With a lack of experience in the top order after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in May, the selectors reckoned Nair would be the best fit at No. 3. However, he managed just 205 runs in four appearances, at an underwhelming average of 25.62. Although he did get off to a solid start on a few instances, he failed to convert them into big scores.
The 33-year-old was eventually dropped from the Test squad for the two-match home series against the West Indies and was also overlooked for the upcoming India A series against South Africa A — a sign that the Indian board is unlikely to revisit Nair as a top-order option in the future.
“We expected more from Karun Nair in England. It cannot be about just one innings. Devdutt Padikkal offers more options to us. We want to give at least 15-20 chances to every player but it is not possible every time,” Agarkar said at a press conference earlier this month.
