Is Karun Nair Returning to Karnataka for the 2025-26 Domestic Season?

New Delhi, July 22 (NationPress) Karun Nair is poised for a return to his home state of Karnataka as he gears up for the upcoming domestic cricket season, marking his first game for the state team in three years.

Nair's move back to Karnataka signifies a remarkable change in his domestic career trajectory. After being overlooked by Karnataka before the 2021–22 season, he made a significant impact with Vidarbha, contributing to their resurgence.

The middle-order batsman, who is currently part of the Indian Test squad in England, has secured a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, facilitating his return, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

Notably, Nair played a crucial role in Vidarbha’s triumphant campaign, helping them secure their third Ranji Trophy title earlier this year. He amassed 863 runs in 16 innings at an impressive average of 53.93, including four centuries—one of which was a pivotal contribution in the final against Kerala. Ironically, Kerala had expressed interest in signing Nair around the time of his departure from Karnataka.

His performance across formats was equally remarkable. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair captained Vidarbha to a runners-up finish and emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 779 runs in just eight innings at a strike rate of 124.01, with five consecutive centuries. He set a new List A record by scoring 542 runs without being dismissed—an unprecedented achievement in that category.

His outstanding domestic form led to a long-awaited return to the Indian Test squad after over eight years. However, Nair has faced challenges in maintaining that form during the ongoing tour of England. Following a double-century in a warm-up match for India A against the England Lions, his scores in three Tests have been 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14, primarily batting at No. 3.

Upon returning to Karnataka, Nair joins a dressing room brimming with batting talent. Players like R Smaran, KL Shrijith, and KV Aneesh enjoyed breakout seasons in 2024–25. Smaran topped the team’s Ranji scoring charts with 516 runs in ten innings, while Shrijith made a memorable first-class debut with a century. With Devdutt Padikkal established in the lineup and Mayank Agarwal likely to continue as captain, Karnataka's selectors are faced with a delightful challenge.

Nair’s return could also spark a reevaluation of the KSCA’s youth-centric strategy, particularly following the recent departures of senior players like K Gowtham and Manish Pandey.

In related news, fast bowler V Koushik has received an NOC to join Goa for the upcoming season. The 32-year-old, who made his Ranji debut in 2019–20 after leaving a corporate job, has become a pivotal component of Karnataka’s pace attack following the retirements of veterans R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, and S Aravind. In the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, he led Karnataka’s wicket-taking charts with 23 wickets in seven matches at an impressive average of 18.73, including two five-wicket hauls.