Since the 2000s, Karnataka have gone on to become a batting reservoir for the Indian team and Karun Nair is yet another sensation from that list. A fluent strokemaker who relies a lot on touchplay than sheer power, Karun is a delight to watch when he gets going. Although originally from Kerala, his family were settled in Bangalore for years. A phenomenal debut season on the domestic circuit set the ball rolling for the young man as he plundered runs at will with Karnataka not only claiming the Ranji Trophy after a gap but also capturing the Irani Cup as well. A new star had definitely arrived and it wasn't hard to spot Karun's flamboyance as a batsman. Consequently the IPL contract happened as Karun got signed by Rajasthan Royals and then made his way into the India A side. At both places, his talent shone brightly and seemed like it was only a matter of time before he donned national colors. That happened in 2016 as he made his international debut on India's limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe where he featured in a couple of ODIs. In the same year towards the fag end, the Test debut also came in the home series against England and although the starting wasn't great, he announced his arrival with a fantastic triple century in the same series. The sky was the limit for young Karun who had become only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to score a triple century in Tests. IPL - Through the years A talented Karnataka batsman, Karun Nair. mostly warmed the benches when he was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore set-up for two years. He represented RCB in just two matches in 2013 and then he was picked by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2014 season. The move immediately reaped rewards as Karun, part of the top-order, struck three fifties in his maiden season for Rajasthan Royals where he amassed 330 runs at a strike rate of 142.24. He didn’t shine well in the following season, but was an integral member of the Royals’ team which reached the playoffs. Following RR’s two-year-suspension, he was picked by Delhi Daredevils ahead of the 2016 edition. Though his side didn’t fare well, Karun had a reasonably good season, with the right-handed batsman notching up three half-centuries and crossing the 350-run mark. He even captained DD for a few games in Zaheer Khan’s absence during the tenth edition of the IPL, but he had an ordinary outing with the bat. Kings XI Punjab snapped him up at the 2018 auctions and the Karnataka batter scored more than 300 runs in the season.
