Courtesy: BCCI/IPL
Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy winner Karun Nair recently arrived at the Delhi Capitals camp to kickstart preparation ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which will begin in the coming few days. The 33-year-old batter has had a fantastic domestic season with Vidarbha and recently won the Ranji Trophy with his team, scoring 86 and 135 across the two innings of the final. His domestic form has earned him a spot in the Capitals squad as he was picked up by the Delhi franchise in the latest mega auction for INR 50 lakh.
He recently spoke to media about getting back in the IPL after having played his last IPL match in the 2022 season with Rajasthan Royals. When asked about Delhi’s trophy aspirations, he said, “It’s about us trying to play our own way, play to our potential and hopefully we can win the title this year.”
With a change in leadership in the DC dressing room as Axar Patel takes up captaincy, Karun Nair spoke about playing under his new skipper. He said, “I think Axar is going to be a great captain. A lot of things have changed but it’s new for me as well. In whatever way I can, I will try to contribute to the team’s success,” referring to his previous stint with Delhi Capitals, who were then called Delhi Daredevils in 2016 and 2017.
Can this IPL season be Nair’s ticket to another national team call-up?
Karun Nair hasn't had good seasons in the recent past in the IPL , but he will look to carry his brilliant domestic form into this year’s edition. Speaking about the same, he said, “My focus is on preparing well for whichever role I’m given and staying ready when the opportunity comes.” The experienced batter had made his Test debut for the Indian cricket team in 2016 against England and had even scored a historic unbeaten triple century in the fifth Test.
However, after a couple of more matches, he was dropped from the national team and still hasn’t featured in the international scene since 2017. On being asked about whether his IPL performance in this season could be his ticket to getting back into the national team, he responded by saying, “I think every game is an opportunity and I’m not looking at this from a different mindset.”
