Karun Nair's top 3 knocks in T20s
Experienced Karnataka batter Karun Nair was in a belligerent mood as he smashed a ton off just 40 deliveries during the second semi-final match of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2023. Mysore Warriors captain Karun Nair won the toss and elected to bat first. The Mysore openers SU Karthik (41) and Samarth R (80) got off to a fast start as they added 82 runs in just 8.3 overs.
Karun Nair walked in at theee and broke free immediately. He was absolutely toying with the bowling attack and got to his ton off just 40 balls. His incredible performance helped the Mysore Warriors team reach 248/2. During his impressive knock of 107* (42), Nair hit nine sixes and seven fours, completely dominating the bowlers.
Here we take a look at Karun Nair's top three knocks in T20s:
#3 64(45), vs Rising Pune Supergiant - 2017
In this match in Delhi, Zaheer Khan won the toss and Delhi Daredevils batted first. Sanju Samson was dismissed early and Shreyas Iyer followed soon after. However, Karun Nair was willing to adjust his game to a rather sluggish pitch and found good support in Rishabh Pant.
They added 74 runs for the third wicket and even when Pant was dismissed, Nair stood tall and got the job done. It was a calculated knock and he identified his moments when he decided to go on the attack. He made 64 off 45 deliveries and dragged Delhi to 168 runs. This was a match-winning knock as Delhi won the match by seven runs.
#2 83(59) vs SunRisers Hyderabad – 2016
Delhi Daredevils chased in this match and they were tasked with hunting down 158 set by the SunRisers Hyderabad. The pitch was quite conducive to bowlers who were willing to change the pace of the ball and hence, the target was not going to be an easy one.
However, this was when Karun Nair stepped up and showed his mastery at maneuvering the strike and even attacking the bowlers on a sluggish track. Quinton de Kock was dismissed early in the chase, but Rishabh Pant and Nair combined to keep the SunRisers’ attack at bay.
Nair remained unbeaten on 83 off 59 deliveries and led Delhi to quite the thrilling win in the final over. The right-hander was adjudged Player of the Match.
#1 73*(50) vs Delhi Daredevils – 2014
This was a match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Daredevils back in 2014. Rajasthan won the toss and fielded first. This proved to be a good decision as Delhi could only muster 152, thanks primarily to contributions from Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, and Kedar Jadhav. James Faulkner and Pravin Tambe picked up two wickets each for the Rajasthan Royals.
During the chase, Rajasthan Royals lost Ajinkya Rahane in the third over. However, Karun Nair played a calculated knock as he dropped anchor. Sanju Samson, Shane Watson, and Rajat Bhatia proved to be good partners, but Nair anchored the chase perfectly with a superb 73 in 50 balls. This saw him bag the Player of the Match award.