Overlooked Indian Star Karun Nair Slams Century in Ranji Trophy Final, Sends Strong Message to BCCI Selectors

Karun Nair capitalized on a second chance to score an unbeaten 132, propelling Vidarbha into a commanding position with an overall lead of 286 runs at the end of Day Four in the Ranji Trophy final in Nagpur on Saturday. Nair’s fourth century of the Ranji Trophy season—ninth overall, including five tons in the Vijay Hazare Trophy—solidified Vidarbha’s dominance and put them on the verge of securing a third Ranji Trophy title.

Vidarbha now have full control of the 90th Ranji Trophy final after Nair’s 280-ball unbeaten 132 helped them extend their first-innings lead of 37 runs to a commanding 286 with just one day of play remaining. A dropped catch in the 19th over of the day proved costly as Nair went on to register yet another impressive century, defying Kerala’s efforts throughout the day.

Danish Malewar also played a crucial role for Vidarbha at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha, following up his first-innings 153 with a resilient 73. However, the turning point came in the 19th over when Kerala’s Akshay Chandran dropped a straightforward catch at first slip off Eden Apple Tom, with Nair on 31. Eden’s short delivery took the edge of the bat and flew towards Chandran, who failed to secure the catch despite having his hands in reverse-cup position. From that moment on, Nair made the most of the reprieve, leaving Kerala with little to celebrate.

Nair’s innings, which included 10 fours and two sixes, was another testament to his form this season. His celebration upon reaching the triple-figure mark was well-deserved—he removed his helmet, waved it to the dressing room along with his bat, and then used his fingers to signal “nine,” representing the number of centuries he has scored this season across two competitions.

Nair’s strokeplay was as elegant as it has been throughout the season, with the senior batter scoring runs on both sides of the wicket. However, Vidarbha’s journey was not entirely smooth. Veteran spinner Jalaj Saxena (1/76) struck early in the second over to dismiss Parth Rekhade, while Mohammed Azharuddeen’s brilliance gave Kerala their second breakthrough in the third over. Dhruv Shorey edged a delivery outside off-stump that kept moving away, and Azharuddeen’s stunning catch at first slip left Vidarbha at 7/2 with an overall lead of 44.

But Nair and Malewar steadied the ship, much like they did in the first innings. The duo added 182 runs for the third wicket, taking the game away from Kerala. Malewar eventually fell for 73 off 162 balls with five fours, as Chandran secured an outside edge that was caught by Sachin Baby at first slip. Yash Rathod (24) then partnered with Nair to add 49 runs for the fourth wicket before being trapped lbw by Aditya Sarwate (1/55).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)