Karun Nair leaves Karnataka, joins Vidarbha

At Vidarbha, Nair will be one of two professional players for the two-time Ranji Trophy-winning team alongside Dhruv Shorey, who has moved on from Delhi

Bengaluru: India batter Karun Nair announced on Sunday that he will be leaving Karnataka and representing Vidarbha in the 2023-24 domestic cricket season.

At Vidarbha, Nair will be one of two professional players for the two-time Ranji Trophy-winning team alongside Dhruv Shorey, who has moved on from Delhi. “ would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible journey I’ve had with the Karnataka State Cricket Association over the last two decades. From the very start of my cricketing career, KSCA has been a guiding light, offering unwavering support that helped shape me into the player I am today.”

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“As I embark on a new chapter with the Vidarbha Cricket Association, I carry with me the cherished memories, friendships, and skills I’ve gained during my time with KSCA. Thank you for being an integral part of my cricketing journey. Now onto the next exciting adventure!” Nair wrote in his Instagram post. Nair, 31, made his first-class debut for Karnataka in 2013 and was a part of the team’s last two Ranji Trophy triumphs in 2013-14 and 2014-15, as well as of double-winning treble. The right-handed batter had slammed a terrific 328 to lead Karnataka to victory in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy final against Tamil Nadu.

At Vidarbha, he will be reunited with middle-order mainstay Ganesh Satish, who was with Karnataka in the 2013-14 season. Of late, he wasn’t a regular fixture in the stateside across formats. His last first-class appearance was in June 2022, while his latest List A and T20 appearances came in December 2021 and May 2022 respectively. Overall, Nair scored 11 hundred and 16 fifties in first-class cricket for Karnataka. “A special thanks to my remarkable coaches, captains, and teammates who I”ve had the privilege of playing under and alongside. Your leadership, mentorship, support and belief in me have been instrumental in my growth as a cricketer,” he added.

Nair made his Test debut for India in 2016 against England in Mohali and became just the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to slam a triple century when he smashed an unbeaten 303 in the last game of the series in Chennai. He was also a member of India’s 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad and featured in his last Test match against Australia in Dharamsala in March. Nair, who also captained Karnataka, had been playing club cricket in the UK of late, before making the move to Vidarbha.