Smaran: Having Karun Nair on our team is a blessing

Karnataka’s R. Smaran, who struck an unbeaten 227—his second double ton of this Ranji Trophy season—against Chandigarh in Hubballi on Monday, said it is “very easy” to bat with Karun Nair, and he benefits from the India international’s constant guidance.

The fourth-wicket pair had added 343 runs in Karnataka’s innings win against Kerala and put on 119 against Chandigarh on Sunday.

“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,” he said.

READ: Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Smaran’s double ton puts Karnataka on top against Chandigarh on Day 2

On his pre-season preparation, he said, “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.”

Reflecting on his prolific season so far, he said, “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.”

Published on Nov 17, 2025