Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Karun Nair smashes double hundred for Karnataka against Kerala
Karun Nair scored a double ton for Karnataka during the side's third round Group B Ranji Trophy match against Kerala on Sunday.
New Delhi: Karun Nair extended his sensational domestic form, notching up a double hundred for Karnataka during the team's third round Group B Ranji Trophy clash against Kerala at the KCA Cricket Ground in Trivandrum on Sunday, November 2.
This was Nair's fifth score of 200 or more in First-Class Cricket. His last double hundred came for India A against England Lions in Canterbury, earlier this year. The 33-year-old has also had a double hundred in England's County Cricket, where he smashed an unbeaten 202 for Northamptonshire in 2024.
Nair is also the second Indian batter after Virender Sehwag to hit a triple ton in Test cricket. He had scored an unbeaten 303 runs against England in Chennai in 2016.
Nair scored a half-century against Saurashtra in the first round and then scored an unbeaten 174 runs against Goa in the previous round.
Karun continues stunning form for Karnataka
His double century put Karnataka in a strong position on Day 2 of the match against Kerala. After opting to bat first, Karnataka got off to a poor start and lost both openers in quick succession. Coming at No.4, Nair forged a 123-run partnership with KL Shrijith for the third wicket.
He stitched another massive 343-run partnership with Smaran Ravinchandran for the fourth wicket, which helped Karnataka to cross the 500-run mark in the first innings. Nair smashed 233 runs off 389 balls with the help of 25 boundaries and two maximums. Basil broke the partnership and removed Nair, but Smaran continued his brilliant batting and scored a double century.
Karun batted both at No.3 and in the middle order for India in the five-match Test series against England. His highest score was 53 runs, which he amassed in the fifth Test at The Oval. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said during India's squad announcement for the West Indies series that the management expected more from Nair.
"We expected more from Karun Nair. It can't be just one innings. Padikkal offers more. We would like to give 15-20 chances to everyone, but it is not possible in these circumstances," Agarkar said during the press conference.
Meanwhile, ahead of the new Ranji Trophy season, Karun Nair returned to Karnataka after a brief stint with Vidarbha. He amassed 782 runs in 12 innings for Vidarbha, which helped him make a comeback in the Test team in 2025.