Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar praised Indian sensational talent for his outstanding form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, saying that such performances don’t happen by chance but result from “great focus and hard work.”
Karun Nair, who is leading Vidarbha in the ongoing tournament, will face his old team Karnataka in the final at Vadodara on Saturday. Nair is currently the top scorer of the competition, with an incredible 752 runs from seven matches, maintaining an unbelievable average of 752.00, as he has been unbeaten in six of those innings.
He has also hit five centuries and one fifty in the tournament, with his highest score being 163*. His strike rate stands at 125.96.
Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, @karun126. Performances like these don’t just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 17, 2025
In the semifinal against Maharashtra on Thursday, Nair played a quick 88* off 44 balls, hitting nine fours and five sixes, helping Vidarbha set a winning total of 380 runs. Maharashtra could only manage 311/7.
Nair is close to breaking a record in the tournament. If he scores 79 more runs, he will surpass Narayan Jagadeesan’s total of 830 runs, which was achieved in the 2022/23 season by Jagadeesan from eight matches, with an average of 138.33, a strike rate above 125, five centuries, and a highest score of 277.
Nair’s impressive performance in the tournament has earned him praise from cricket experts and fans, with many calling for his return to the Indian team. Nair, who last played for India in March 2017, remains India’s only Test triple-centurion since the legendary Virender Sehwag.
Since making his debut in 2016, Nair has played six Tests for India, scoring 374 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.33, with his highest score being 303*. He has also appeared in two ODIs for India, making 46 runs, with a best score of 39.
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Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
