Veteran batter Karun Nair is all set to make a comeback for Karnataka in domestic cricket despite his record-breaking run for Vidarbha in domestic cricket.
For the past two seasons, Karun was with Vidarbha. He received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association on Monday evening, allowing him to return to his original state team, said a report in ESPNCricinfo.
Karun's return is coming at a point in time when his stocks have risen considerably, courtesy of his consistent performances in the domestic circuit. He played a pivotal role in Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy title last season, which also helped him make a comeback to the Indian Test team after a long gap of eight years.
Last season, he amassed 863 runs in 16 innings at an average of 53.93, hitting four centuries, including a match-winning hundred in the final against Kerala.
The 33-year-old also thrived in his record-shattering run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as he captained Vidarbha to a runners-up finish in the one-day
He topped the scoring charts with 779 runs in eight innings, including five consecutive hundreds while striking ferociously at 124.01. During his dream run, he added another feather to his cap by setting a new List A record of scoring the most runs (542) without being dismissed.
However, he is yet to replicate his impactful performances in England so far. He warmed up for the series with a blistering double hundred for India A against England Lions in the first unofficial Test, but soon faded away.
He has managed just scores 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 in the three Tests he has played in England.
Following Karun's return, Karnataka will have a selection headache, considering R Smaran, K L Shrijith and K V Aneesh, all enjoyed breakout seasons in the 2024-25 campaign.
Smaran was at the summit of the runs tally for Karnataka, hammering 516 runs in ten innings during the Ranji season, while Shrijith tonked a century on first-class debut.
Mayank Agarwal is likely to continue as captain, while the experienced Devdutt Padikkal is another definite starter, leaving Karnataka management to figure out a way to accommodate all of them.
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