Karun Nair's exit route from international cricket stamped by board

India’s struggling batter Karun Nair is all set to make a comeback to the Karnataka cricket team after a gap of three seasons for the upcoming domestic cricket season. Karun Nair recently received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, where he played for the last two years, confirming his return to Karnataka for the upcoming season.

The Karnataka squad is already packed with talented batters like R Smaran, who had an excellent Ranji Trophy 2024-25, scoring 516 runs in just 10 innings and finishing as the team’s top scorer. On the other hand, KL Shrijith impressed with a century on his first-class debut, while KV Aneesh also had a breakthrough season.

Karun Nair ditches Vidharbha to rejoin Karnataka ahead of upcoming domestic season

Karnataka’s top order is looking strong with experienced players like Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal at the rank. So, Nair’s return could create healthy competition for spots in Karnataka’s playing XI in the upcoming domestic season 2025-26.

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Interestingly, the right-handed batter’s return came at a time when the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has been focusing on younger players, as they allowed the senior players like Manish Pandey and K. Gowtham to move on from the state.

Meanwhile, Karun Nair thanked the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) for their support over the past two domestic seasons. The Indian batter said that he was proud of what they achieved together, especially leading the team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and their success in the Ranji Trophy.

Karun Nair thanks Vidarbha Cricket Association for 'everything'

Karun Nair said in a statement, “I'd like to thank VCA for everything they've done for me in the last two years. Whatever I've achieved in the last two years is credit to how they managed me and took care of me like I was their own. Grateful to the VCA and all the players and support staff.”

The seasoned batter further added, “As a team, we achieved special things. The atmosphere was so positive. The opportunity to lead such an amazing bunch during the Vijay Hazare and achieve success in the Ranji Trophy is something I'll look back on very fondly.”

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Karun is making his return to the Karnataka team at a high point in his career. Since leaving the Karnataka side, he has delivered strong performances during his stint with Vidarbha. He was a key player in their Ranji Trophy win earlier this year, scoring 863 runs in 16 innings, including four centuries, and a crucial hundred in the final against Kerala.

Karun Nair failed to replicate domestic form in India jersey

Interestingly, Kerala had shown interest in signing Nair after he was dropped by Karnataka in the 2021–22 season. Meanwhile, Nair was also in sublime form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, leading Vidarbha to the final as captain. He scored 779 runs in just eight innings, smashing five consecutive centuries and setting a new List A record by scoring 542 runs without getting out.

His performances earned him a spot back in India’s Test squad after more than eight years. However, during the ongoing England tour, he hasn’t been able to replicate that form yet. Despite a strong start with a double century for India A, Nair could manage only 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 across three matches in the ongoing five-match Test series against England.