Karun Nair shines in Vijay Hazare Trophy final as Karnataka clinch 5th title with victory over Vidarbha by 36 runs

Unfortunately for Karun Nair, the heartbreak continued as Karnataka emerged victorious over his Vidarbha side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, defeating them by 36 runs. This win marked Karnataka's fifth title in the domestic 50-over tournament. Smaran Ravichandran played a pivotal role in their victory with a century, while Vidarbha's Dhruv Shorey's third consecutive ton was not enough to secure the win. Nair, who had been in exceptional form with centuries in almost every innings leading up to the final, faltered and was dismissed for 27 off 31 balls by Prasidh Krishna.

Karnataka batted first and opener Smaran smashed 101 off just 92 deliveries. Unheralded keeper-batter Krishnan Srijith chipped in with a plucky 78 off 74 balls. T20 star Abhinav Manohar provided the final flourish with a blistering 79 off 42 deliveries, propelling the Karnataka to a commanding total of 348 for 6 in 50 overs.

Vidarbha in reply were all out for 312 in 48.2 overs with opener Shorey scoring 110 in 111 balls. However, Vidarbha paid the price for most of their batters outside the top three failing to get significant time at the crease. All-rounder Harsh Dubey's explosive 63 off 30 balls, which included five sixes and as many fours, gave Karnataka a scare though before Vidarbha were all out for 312 in 48.2 overs.

Karun Nair finishes with an average of 389.5

Karun, whose name came up for discussion during Indian team's selection meeting in Mumbai, finished the tournament with 779 runs and a whopping average of 389.5. His form was such that it prompted batting great Sachin Tendulkar to take note on social media. He wrote, “Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, “karun126. Performances like these don’t just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!”

However, it wasn't enough for him to earn a spot in the Indian squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar acknowledged Nair's stellar average but asserted that it's extremely difficult to fit everyone into the squad. “I mean, those are really special performances and I mean someone who averages about 700+, 750 + or something, we did have a chat, no doubt about it, when those kind of performances happen. At the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult,” Agarkar said in the press conference.

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