Karun Nair (104, 183b, 12×4, 1×6) starred for KSCA Secretary’s XI against Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh on the first day of their Dr. (Capt.) K. Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.
At close of play, KSCA Secretary’s XI was 277 for seven.
Karun was part of the South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy but could not find a place in the XI for the semifinal and the ongoing final against East Zone in Chennai.
Personal reasons
South Zone coach Vikram Verma told reporters in Chennai on Monday that Karun left the squad due to “personal reasons.”
“He went (home) for personal reasons. He left for his home; he mailed and took permission. Due to personal and family reasons, he left,” Vikram said.
Vikram stated that Karun was dropped to accommodate a left-handed batter.
“We went with a good combination because every team has two left-arm spinners. So we thought a left-hand batter in the middle-order would give him a chance to dominate them. We thought what is best for the team.
“In the first match (semifinal held at Bengaluru), we gave a chance to a youngster K. Himateja. Now since (Devdutt) Padikkal has come back (for the final), this is the team combination,” Vikram said.
Published on Sep 07, 2026
