Karun Nair

He made an immediate impact in domestic cricket, scoring heavily in his first season. He was among the leading figures in a strong Karnataka side that won both the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2013-14 and again in 2014-15. His standout effort of that period was a triple hundred in the 2014-15 Ranji final. Rajasthan Royals then gave him an IPL deal, and he also earned selection for India A, impressing in both settings.

His India debut arrived in 2016, when he played a couple of ODIs on a limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe. Late that year he was given a Test cap in the home series against England, having been brought in while Ajinkya Rahane was injured. After a modest beginning he hit a triple century in that series, joining Virender Sehwag as only the second Indian to reach that mark in Tests. The same year brought a frightening episode away from cricket: while in Kerala for a temple festival, he was among a group caught in a boat accident and was rescued by local people.

The weight of expectation that followed his triple hundred proved difficult. His scores tailed off, and with India using only five specialist batters he was sometimes left out, eventually losing his Test place. His domestic returns also suffered, and Karnataka later left him out in every format.

A move to Vidarbha as a professional before the 2023-24 season revived his career. He was central to their run to the Ranji Trophy final that season and to their title win the following season. In the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy he scored 752 runs, a sequence that included a record 542 runs without being dismissed. Despite this resurgence, he has largely remained on the fringes of IPL squads.