Karun, Shreyas set to join Vidarbha and Kerala after parting ways with Karnataka

Karun Nair moves on from Karnataka and will represent Vidarbha in the upcoming season, the batter announced on social media. Karun played for Karnataka for over a decade, having made his debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2011-12 against Goa. He would then make his Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy bow the following year.

Overall, Karun scored 3,779 runs at 49.07 for Karnataka at the first-class level, including 11 hundreds and 16 fifties, with a highest score of 328. He won back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles in his first two seasons with Karnataka. In fact, he became only the second player to score a century in the tournament's final, achieving this feat in the 2014-15 season against Tamil Nadu.

He would then make his Test debut in November 2016 agianst England in Mohali. Playing only his third Test, Karun became the second Indian player after Virender Sehwag to score a triple ton in Tests, getting to the milestone in Chennai. However, he went on to play just three more Tests, the last of which was against Australia in Dharamsala in 2017.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible journey I’ve had with the Karnataka State Cricket Association over the last two decades. From the very start of my cricketing career, KSCA has been a guiding light, offering unwavering support that helped shape me into the player I am today," the batter wrote in his post.

“As I embark on a new chapter with the Vidarbha Cricket Association, I carry with me the cherished memories, friendships, and skills I’ve gained during my time with KSCA. Thank you for being an integral part of my cricketing journey. Now, onto the next exciting adventure!"

Karun last featured in a first-class and T20 match for Karnataka in 2022 and has not played the 50-over format for them since 2021. He is the leading run-getter in the Maharaja T20 Trophy at the moment, having slammed 388 runs at a strike-rate of 146.41 for Mysuru Warriors.

Gopal, Siddharth and Kadam too make a move

Veteran leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, too, has made a move to Kerala after a frustrating season with Karnataka in an attempt to bolster Kerala's spin-bowling stocks. The leg-spinner will join hands with veteran off-spinner Jalaj Saxena, who has been one of Kerala's top performers season after season. 

Middle-order batter KV Siddharth makes a switch alongside fellow batter Rohan Kadam to Goa. Siddharth was a force to reckon with in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy season, where he was Karnataka's leading run-getter. Kadam, on the other hand, was once viewed as a prime T20 batter for the state side but soon fizzled out.