New Delhi, Jul 22: Karun Nair is set for a homecoming to Karnataka ahead of the upcoming domestic season, three years after his last appearance for the state team.

Nair's switch back to Karnataka marks a significant turnaround in his domestic career. After being sidelined by Karnataka ahead of the 2021–22 season, he joined Vidarbha and played a key role in their resurgence.

The middle-order batter, currently with the Indian Test squad in England, has received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, clearing the way for his return, ESPNcricinfo reported.

Most notably, he was instrumental in Vidarbha’s successful campaign that saw them clinch their third Ranji Trophy title earlier this year. He scored 863 runs across 16 innings at an average of 53.93, including four centuries - one of them a decisive knock in the final against Kerala. Ironically, Kerala had shown interest in signing Nair around the time of his Karnataka exit.

His form across formats was equally impressive. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair led Vidarbha to a runners-up finish as captain and emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. He piled up 779 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 124.01, registering five centuries in succession. Notably, he set a new List A record by scoring 542 runs without being dismissed - the most ever in that category.

His domestic form earned him a long-awaited recall to the Indian Test side after more than eight years. However, Nair has struggled to replicate that consistency on the ongoing England tour. Following a double-century in a warm-up game for India A against England Lions, he has registered scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 across three Tests, mostly batting at No. 3.

Back in Karnataka, Nair will enter a dressing room rich with batting depth. The likes of R Smaran, KL Shrijith and KV Aneesh enjoyed breakout seasons in 2024–25. Smaran led the team’s Ranji scoring charts with 516 runs in ten innings while Shrijith marked his first-class debut with a century. With Devdutt Padikkal a fixture and Mayank Agarwal likely to continue as captain, Karnataka’s selectors face a pleasant headache.

Nair’s return could also prompt a rethink of KSCA’s youth-focused strategy - a shift underscored by recent exits of senior players like K Gowtham and Manish Pandey.

Meanwhile, fast bowler V Koushik has secured an NOC to join Goa for the upcoming season. The 32-year-old late bloomer, who made his Ranji debut in 2019–20 after leaving a corporate job, has been a key figure in Karnataka’s pace attack post the retirements of stalwarts R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Aravind. In the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, he topped Karnataka’s wicket charts with 23 wickets in seven games at an average of 18.73, including two five-fors.

(IANS)

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