Karun Nair: Key facts about India’s latest batting sensation
Kaurn Nair became the second Indian on Monday to score a triple century in the Test matches after Virender Sehwag
New Delhi: Karun Nair’s unbeaten 303 on Monday along with strong partnerships with Ravichandran Ashwin, who scored 67 runs, and Ravindra Jadeja, who contributed with 51 runs, propelled India to 759 in the first innings of the fifth and final Test against England in Chennai. This is the highest ever total by India at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
While Nair’s triple century has made him a national figure, not many knew about the 25-year-old Karnataka batsman before the Chennai Test.
Here are key highlights of his cricket career so far:
• The Chennai Test is Nair’s third and he was playing only because India’s middle order had lost two of its regular players to injury.
• He was selected for the Test team in 2015 as a replacement for Murli Vijay, but did not get to play in the final XI.
• His much-awaited Test debut came in November this year, when he was given the Test cap in Mohali to replace injured K.L Rahul.
• In 2016 IPL auction, Nair was bought for Rs4 crore by Delhi Daredevils, nearly 40 times his base price of Rs10 lakh.
• In 2014, he was signed by IPL franchise Rajasthan Royal, becoming a regular in the playing XI, at times even opening the innings with Australian all-rounder Shane Watson.
• Nair made it to the Karnataka Under-19 team at the age of 15 and Ranji debut in early 20s.
• During his debut first-class season in 2013-14, Nair played a key role in helping his side to sweep the Ranji and Irani titles.
• He hit centuries in three successive Ranji matches, including the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, and also hit the winning six that ended Karnataka’s 15-year-wait for a Ranji title.
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