Ranji Trophy: Karun Nair's Century Elevates Vidarbha

Nagpur, March 1 (NationPress) Karun Nair’s fourth century of the Ranji Trophy season propelled Vidarbha into a dominant position on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy final against Kerala at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha on Saturday.

The experienced batter scored an unbeaten 132, taking Vidarbha to 249/4 at stumps in their second innings, thereby extending their overall lead to 286 runs with six wickets remaining.

Entering at a critical 7/2 in the third over of the day, Nair once again demonstrated his caliber on the significant stage, anchoring Vidarbha’s recovery with a vital 182-run partnership alongside Danish Malewar (73). Their steadfastness nullified Kerala’s early advantage and placed Vidarbha in a strong position as they strive for their third Ranji Trophy title.

Beginning the day with a slender 37-run first-innings advantage, Vidarbha’s second innings started off poorly as Kerala’s bowlers struck twice in quick succession. Medium pacer MD Nidheesh (1/37) dismissed Dhruv Shorey (5), while veteran off-spinner Jalaj Saxena (1/76) made an immediate impact, sending Parth Rekhade (1) back to the pavilion with his very first delivery.

With Vidarbha struggling at 7/2, Nair and Malewar steadied the ship, combining caution with aggression to counter the Kerala attack. Malewar, who was crucial in the first-innings recovery with a 215-run partnership alongside Nair, played a fantastic supporting role once more. He scored a determined 73 off 161 balls, hitting eight boundaries before being dismissed by Basil Thampi (1/49) after tea.

Nair, who has been in exceptional form throughout the season, continued his splendid run with another composed century. His innings, featuring 10 fours and two sixes, came off 280 balls and ensured Vidarbha maintained control heading into the final day.

This marked Nair’s second century in a Ranji Trophy final and his ninth of the season. Having surpassed 8,000 first-class runs earlier in this match, the 33-year-old is experiencing a career resurgence, being one of the standout performers in domestic cricket this season.

His celebration upon reaching the three-figure mark, holding up nine fingers to signify his ninth ton of the season, reflected his utter dominance in the red-ball format this year. Nair’s ability to perform under pressure has been a key factor in Vidarbha’s strong campaign, and with this century, he has provided his side with a genuine chance to dictate terms on the final day.

Kerala, participating in their first Ranji Trophy final, will need something extraordinary to keep their title hopes alive. Their bowlers began well but struggled to break the Nair-Malewar partnership, allowing Vidarbha to steadily enhance their lead throughout the day.

With the match slipping away, Kerala will seek early wickets on the final morning to restrict Vidarbha and give themselves a fighting chance to chase down a target. However, with Nair still unbeaten and captain Akshay Wadkar (4*) alongside him, Vidarbha will aim to bat Kerala out of the contest before potentially setting up a declaration.

Brief Scores: Vidarbha 287 & 249/4 in 90 overs (Karun Nair 132 not out, Danish Malewar 73; Jalaj Saxena 1/76, Aditya Sarwate 1-55) lead Kerala 250 all out by 286 runs