Returned to the Test setup after a long hiatus, Karun Nair's stay with the team in post Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli era was short-lived. Just when he started to click at the international level, Nair was dropped. The prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket may not get another chance. Meanwhile, his return to Karnataka has been fruitful, not just for him but his teammates. Smaran Ravichandran who scored an unbeaten 227 against Chandigarh in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025-26 clash, highlighted the importance of his presence in the lineup.
Nair helped Karnataka recover after top-order departed without much impact on the scoreboard. From 64/3, Nair and Ravichandran shared an 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The youngster lauded the veteran for helping him navigate the initial part of his innings.
“He constantly guides me based on how the wicket is. He keeps telling me what shots are risky on a particular wicket. If two spinners are bowling, he puts so much pressure on them. Then the field spreads, and it’s just about (strike) rotation and playing the sessions out. Having him in our team is really a blessing. When he is batting out there in the middle, it makes things easy for us,” Smaran told Sportstar.
Ravichandran went on to score 227 runs from 362 balls, featuring 16 fours and two sixes. From the other end, Shreyas Gopal (62 off 147 balls) and Shikhar Shetty (59 off 122 balls) contributed to the score. Karnataka posted 547/8 on the board, putting Chandigarh under pressure.
Youngster on preparation and posting big scores
After registering his career-best score, Ravichandran opened up on his pre-season preparation. He talked about finding ways to bat out sessions and post big scores on the board.
“I think winning the Ranji Trophy has always been my priority, because we haven’t been able to win it for ten years. So, there was a special focus on the preparation for the red-ball season. To convert those starts into big scores was the main focus. I worked with my coach, Syed Zabiullah, looking to take the game deep and bat out those sessions.”
Against Kerala, Ravichandran had scored an unbeaten 220. He intends to make the most of the purple catch. Currently, he is placed fourth on the list of leading run-scorers in the season.
“It’s just the start, and I think there is still a long way to go. You’ve got to keep piling on the runs. You can’t relax at any point in time,” said the youngster.