Karun Nair's 5 best performances for Karnataka
Experienced batter Karun Nair bid farewell to his longtime state, Karnataka, to wield his willow for Vidharbha from the upcoming domestic season.
The former Karnataka captain had been part of the side since 2012 and was among the vital cogs for them until the previous domestic season. Nair has not played for the side across formats since the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh in June last year.
The 31-year-old debuted in first-class cricket in the 2013-2014 season, propelling Karnataka to the Ranji Trophy title. He scored three consecutive centuries, including tons in the quarter-final and the semi-final.
Nair added to his heroics the following season with a triple century in the final to help Karnataka repeat as Ranji champions. The right-hander had another impressive season in 2015-16, leading to his selection to the Indian ODI and Test squads.
On his Test debut against England, Nair became only the second Indian batter to score a triple-century behind Virender Sehwag.
However, ever since his dropping from the Indian test team in controversial fashion, Nair's form has dipped considerably in all formats for Karnataka. Nevertheless, the elegant batter boasts impressive numbers for the state, scoring over 11,000 runs across formats, with 19 centuries to his name.
It is only fair we pay tribute to the departing Karnataka veteran by revisiting his five best performances for the state over the last decade.
#1 328 vs Tamil Nadu, Ranji Trophy 2014/15 final
Although Karun Nair is fondly remembered for his triple century on his Test debut, his first 300+ score was equally significant to his and the team's cause.
With Karnataka looking to defend their Ranji title, Nair came into the crease at 31/4 on a treacherous batting pitch where Tamil Nadu had scored only 134. The 31-year-old displayed impeccable technique and tremendous composure to weather the storm and stitch together a match-winning 386-run partnership with KL Rahul.
Nair scored 328, the highest-ever in a Ranji Trophy final, to propel Karnataka to an unimaginable 762. He batted over a day and a half, including the entirety of Day 3 and blasted an extraordinary 46 boundaries and a six.
Nair was also the second cricketer from Karnataka to score a triple century and the first to score a triple century in a Ranji final since 1946–47. Karnataka won by an innings and 217 runs to win back-to-back Ranji titles, with Nair adjudged the Player of the Match.
#2 151* vs Punjab, Ranji Trophy 2013/14 semi-final
Despite several impressive performances in his domestic career, the finish to the 2013/14 Ranji Trophy has to rank as Karun Nair's all-time best stretch. Having made his first-class debut in the season, the 31-year-old scored a century in Karnataka's final league game against Delhi.
The Jodhpur-born batter followed that up with another masterful ton in the first innings of their quarter-final win against Uttar Pradesh. With the general feeling that the law of averages would eventually catch up with Nair, the batter defied all odds and made it a hat-trick of centuries in the semi-final against Punjab.
The first day being washed out almost certainly meant the contest would likely be a one-inning shootout.
Punjab scored a competitive 270 on a tacky pitch and reduced Karnataka to 94-3 when Nair entered the arena. He then took over by smashing a scintillating 151* off 296 balls, with 103 of those runs coming through non-boundaries.
The knock took Karnataka to 447/5 and a healthy lead of 177 that eventually proved more than enough to advance to the grand finale.
#3 111 off 52 balls vs Tamil Nadu, SMAT 2017/18
Karun Nair's best T20 knock came in the 2017/18 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy South Zone clash against Tamil Nadu. In a battle of the two South Indian giants, the right-hander smashed a century off only 48 deliveries.
Nair bludgeoned eight fours and as many sixes in his final score of 111 from 52 balls to propel Karnataka to an improbable 179/9 in their 20 overs. What made the knock all the more impressive was that the second-highest scorer was Ravikumar Samarth, with a mere 19.
The belligerent knock is arguably among the best single-handed T20 batting performances, helping the side upstage their zonal rivals by 78 runs on a difficult pitch for everyone not named Nair.
#4 120 vs Gujarat, Vijay Hazare Trophy 2013/14 quarter-final
Knockout matches always carry extra weight in ranking the best performances of players, and Karun Nair made a habit of putting his best foot forward in the biggest of games in the 2013/14 domestic season.
In addition to his sparkling centuries in the quarter-final and semi-final of the 2013/14 Ranji Trophy, the 31-year-old produced another magical knock in the very season during the quarters of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Karnataka was reduced to 31/4 batting first against Gujarat when Nair joined opener Robin Uthappa. The duo produced one of the best rearguard actions by stitching together a partnership of 209 runs off 214 deliveries to script a remarkable turnaround.
The middle-order batter scored an incredible 120 off 121 balls to power the side to a mammoth 301/7 in their 50 overs.
Nair's heroics earned him the Player of the Match award as Karnataka emerged victorious by 27 runs to advance to the final four. He also scored a crucial unbeaten 53 in the final against Railways on a difficult pitch to help Karnataka win their first Vijay Hazare title.
#5 86 vs Punjab, Vijay Hazare Trophy 2014/15 final
Karun Nair produced another memorable knock in a big game when he scored a 71-ball 86 in the 2014/15 Vijay Hazare final against Punjab.
Although the knock didn't quite come with the team in trouble, it played a pivotal role in ensuring the start provided by openers Robin Uthappa and Mayank Agarwal did not go to waste.
Coming in at 162/1, Nair wasted no time and continued the momentum to lead the side to a massive 359/7 in their 50 overs. The total proved sufficient as the side completed a 156-run victory to complete the double of winning the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2013/14 and 2014/15.