Karun Nair, despite scoring a century in a local tournament, was controversially excluded from the South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy final. This decision has drawn attention given South Zone's struggles against East Zone. Coach Vikram Verma cited team combination and "personal reasons" for Nair's absence, but his subsequent participation in another match suggests deeper issues.
Andhra, Saurashtra, and Punjab secured three points each in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B matches after earning first-innings leads, despite the games ending in draws. Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Assam settled for one point each. Karun Nair's unbeaten 155 for Karnataka was a highlight, while Ravindra Jadeja was Player of the Match for Saurashtra.
Karun Nair's wife Sanaya Tankariwala Nair took to social media to vent her frustration, labelling Nair's omission as pure injustice to the batter and a 'complete contradiction of the system's stated purpose'.
Karun Nair is back - and back where it all began to unravel.
I would hope that India stick by him, at least another couple of games, just to give him a run at No.3, feels former England captain Michael Vaughan.
Punjab captain Uday Saharan scored an unbeaten 106 to guide his team to 269 for four against Chhattisgarh on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy match. This came after India skipper Shubman Gill was dismissed for just one run. In another match, Manvanth Kumar's 86 not out helped Karnataka recover against Saurashtra.
Newly-appointed Karnataka head coach R Vinay Kumar believes his primary challenge will be understanding and adapting to the mindset of current generation players, who he feels 'need more freedom' to perform effectively.
Hyderabad secured an innings and 40-run victory over Tripura on the third day of their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 Elite Group B match. Pacers Tanay Thyagarajan and Mohammad Siraj led the bowling attack, bundling out Tripura for 120 in their second innings. Hyderabad earned seven points from the match, including a bonus point.
The Vidarbha batter boasts an incredible average of 752 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with five centuries from seven games.
Nair will bat at No 5 at The Oval in what many see as his last chance at redemption.
India internationals KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna have been named in Karnataka's squad for their Ranji Trophy season opener against Andhra. Rahul is expected to play to prepare for the New Zealand Test tour, while Prasidh's participation is uncertain due to injury. The squad, led by Ravichandran Smaran, also sees a new coaching staff and a new sponsorship deal for Karnataka teams.
The second round of the Ranji Trophy will see India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill return to action for Punjab, while Mumbai will be without key players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ayush Mhatre due to India A duties and injury, respectively, setting the stage for crucial encounters across the country.
His 22nd century in first-class cricket comes on the back of his omission from the India's ODI squad for the England series and the Champions Trophy.
'Constant chopping and changing will affect players' confidence.'
In summary, excluding the inactive innings, his recent conversion record reads rather poor with no half-centuries since his eminent legendary debut knock.
It took eight years for Karun Nair to don India jersey again but 25 days into his second coming in Test cricket, the Karnataka batter could well have played his last international game
Karun Nair 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.
There is a school of thought that having done the hard yards in the England series, Karun Nair deserves an opportunity against a weaker opposition where a century could boost his career.
Karun Nair has got starts in majority of his six innings in England but he has not been able to convert them into something substantial.
the 33 year old soon resumed batting and shared a light moment with the support staff, pointing to the spot where he was hit, thereby allaying any serious injury concerns.
Karun Nair, the standout performer of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has failed to make it into India's Champions Trophy squad despite an extraordinary domestic season.
Ravi Shastri picked Rishabh Pant's dismissal in the first innings and Karun Nair's wicket in the second essay as the key moments that tilted the third Test at Lord's in England's favour.
Karun Nair has managed only 131 runs across six innings at a below-par average of 21.83, in the first three Tests against England.
Karun Nair opened up about the relentless effort he put in the last few years to make a comeback to the Indian Test team for the recently-concluded tour of England.
Senior batter Karun Nair believes that the hyper aggressive batting which was on display in IPL 2026 will reshape the mindset of batters across domestic competitions.
Goa's Abhinav Tejrana has been named in the South Zone squad for the prestigious Duleep Trophy, making him the only cricketer from Goa to achieve this distinction this year, a selection attributed to his consistent high-scoring performances in recent seasons.
East Zone were crowned Duleep Trophy champions after the final against South Zone ended in a draw in Chennai, with their first-innings lead proving decisive.
Karun Nair created a new world record for the most runs in List A cricket without being dismissed while guiding Vidarbha to an eight-wicket victory over Uttar Pradesh.
Underdogs Nagaland showed they are made of sterner stuff as their batters fought tooth and nail all day to score 365/5 and frustrate Tamil Nadu who would be fancying their chances of enforcing a follow-on after a mammoth 512-run first-innings total in a Ranji Trophy Group A match in Bengaluru on Monday.
All the prominent Indian cricketers are contracted with their respective IPL franchises at the moment as the league's knockouts will be played on May 20, 21 23 before the final on May 25.
Karun Nair has smashed 664 runs with five centuries in eight matches at an astonishing average of 664 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The Duleep Trophy final between East Zone and South Zone will feature a mix of rising talents like Devdutt Padikkal, Tilak Varma, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, alongside established players like Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami. Players will be looking to impress selectors for upcoming national assignments, with Padikkal aiming to continue his red-ball form and Siraj seeking to regain rhythm. The match also marks Shami's 100th first-class game.
The Duleep Trophy reaches its semifinal stage with defending champions Central Zone and last year's runners-up South Zone receiving direct entry. They will face East Zone and North Zone, respectively, who advanced after winning their quarterfinal matches. The upcoming clashes promise intense competition as teams battle for a spot in the final.
After eight years, cricket gives another chance to Karun Nair
After a stellar performance in domestic cricket, premier batter Karun Nair is confident of reclaiming his India cap.
Karun Nair on Wednesday served a reminder to his prowess with an unbeaten 144 for Northamptonshire against table-toppers Surrey in a County Championship Division One contest, in London at the Oval.
Vidarbha batting mainstay Karun Nair put the ball in the selectors' court regarding a strong case for his India call-up after his ninth century of the season
Nair is only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to score a triple-hundred for India in Test cricket. He achieved the feat in December 2016, scoring an unbeaten 303 in his third Test against England in Chennai.
Delhi Capitals face Kolkata Knight Riders in a crucial IPL match, needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
