Nair's switch back to Karnataka marks a significant turnaround in his domestic career. After being sidelined by Karnataka ahead of the 2021\u201322 season, he joined Vidarbha and played a key role in their resurgence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The middle-order batter, currently with the Indian Test squad in England, has received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association, clearing the way for his return, ESPNcricinfo reported.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Most notably, he was instrumental in Vidarbha\u2019s successful campaign that saw them clinch their third Ranji Trophy title earlier this year. He scored 863 runs across 16 innings at an average of 53.93, including four centuries - one of them a decisive knock in the final against Kerala. Ironically, Kerala had shown interest in signing Nair around the time of his Karnataka exit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His form across formats was equally impressive. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair led Vidarbha to a runners-up finish as captain and emerged as the tournament\u2019s leading run-scorer. He piled up 779 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 124.01, registering five centuries in succession. Notably, he set a new List A record by scoring 542 runs without being dismissed - the most ever in that category.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His domestic form earned him a long-awaited recall to the Indian Test side after more than eight years. However, Nair has struggled to replicate that consistency on the ongoing England tour. Following a double-century in a warm-up game for India A against England Lions, he has registered scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 across three Tests, mostly batting at No. 3.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Back in Karnataka, Nair will enter a dressing room rich with batting depth. The likes of R Smaran, KL Shrijith and KV Aneesh enjoyed breakout seasons in 2024\u201325. Smaran led the team\u2019s Ranji scoring charts with 516 runs in ten innings while Shrijith marked his first-class debut with a century. With Devdutt Padikkal a fixture and Mayank Agarwal likely to continue as captain, Karnataka\u2019s selectors face a pleasant headache.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His domestic form earned him a long-awaited recall to the Indian Test side after more than eight years. However, Nair has struggled to replicate that consistency on the ongoing England tour. Following a double-century in a warm-up game for India A against England Lions, he has registered scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 across three Tests, mostly batting at No. 3.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, fast bowler V Koushik has secured an NOC to join Goa for the upcoming season. The 32-year-old late bloomer, who made his Ranji debut in 2019\u201320 after leaving a corporate job, has been a key figure in Karnataka\u2019s pace attack post the retirements of stalwarts R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Aravind. In the 2024\u201325 Ranji Trophy, he topped Karnataka\u2019s wicket charts with 23 wickets in seven games at an average of 18.73, including two five-fors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n