Karun Nair will replace KL Rahul in the Lucknow Super Giants team for the rest of IPL 2023. Rahul is out due to a hamstring injury.
Rahul just revealed that he would have surgery on his right thigh and will miss the World Test Championship final, which is set to begin on June 7.
Karun Nair, KL Rahul‘s replacement, hasn’t played many games in recent seasons, but he has 76 IPL outings since his debut in 2013. He has 1,496 runs scored with a strike rate of 127.75 and an average of 23.75.
Nair has some unique knocks in the cash-rich league and will be hoping to add to that list if he is given the opportunity to represent LSG this season. Here are Karun Nair’s top three IPL wickets:
1) 73* vs Delhi Daredevils, 2014
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and decided to bat first against Delhi Daredevils in a match in 2014. Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, and Kedar Jadhav all contributed to the Daredevils’ total of 152. James Faulkner and Pravin Tambe each took two wickets for the Royals.
The Royals lost Ajinkya Rahane in the third over, but Karun Nair batted brilliantly to direct the chase. Throughout the innings, he found capable partners in Sanju Samson, Rajat Bhatia, and Shane Watson. Nair blasted eight boundaries and two sixes for a total of 73 in 50 balls, winning him the Player of the Match title.
2) 83* vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2016
Karun Nair with the Delhi Daredevils scored his best IPL score in a game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016.
Batting first, SRH scored 158 in their allotted 20 overs, owing to David Warner’s 73-run effort. None of the other batters made a significant impact.
DD lost Quinton de Kock in the second over of the chase, and Karun Nair came in to bat at No. 3. To consolidate the score, he had a 73-run partnership with Rishabh Pant for the second wicket. He also had important partnerships with JP Duminy and Carlos Brathwaite. However, he was the key contributor in both partnerships and finished with a score of 83 not out, which helped Delhi win the game off the last delivery.
Nair’s brilliant innings included eight boundaries and three maximums as he single-handedly won the game for the Daredevils.
3) 61 vs Delhi Daredevils, 2015
In 2015 Rajasthan Royals batted first and set a target of 190 for the Delhi Daredevils, thanks to a superb start by openers Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane.
Karun Nair batted at No. 3 with RR at 52/1 after 6.5 overs. He kept the momentum going with a magnificent innings full of attacking intent. Nair struck 61 off 38 deliveries, including six boundaries and two sixes, as part of a 113-run partnership with Rahane.
The Daredevils were defeated by 14 runs after scoring only 175 runs. The Royals’ outstanding players with the ball were Shane Watson and James Faulkner.