Indian Creicketer who scored Histroic Triple Century. Explore his boigraphy, family, career stat,achievment,networth and more in details article
Karun Nair
: Introduction
Karun Kaladharan Nair (born 6 December 1991) is a prominent Indian cricketer known as a right-handed top-order batter. Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, he represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket and plays for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. Nair gained international fame when he scored an unbeaten 303\* against England in Chennai (2016), becoming only the second Indian ever to hit a triple century in Test cricket. His rapid rise to the elite 300 club (achieving it in just his third Test innings) made headlines worldwide. (His zodiac sign is Sagittarius.)
Biographical Information
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Full Name** Karun Kaladharan Nair
Date of Birth Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Nationality** Indian
Height** 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Batting Style Right-handed
Bowling Style Right-arm off break
Playing Role Top-order batter
Teams (Domestic/IPL) Karnataka (now Vidarbha), India A; Royal Challengers Bangalore (2012–13), Rajasthan Royals (2014–15, 2022), Delhi Capitals (2016–17, 2025–present), Kings XI Punjab (2018–20), Kolkata Knight Riders (2021)
Test Debut 26 Nov 2016 vs England
ODI Debut 11 Jun 2016 vs Zimbabwe
Family and Early Life
Karun was born to a Malayali family from Kerala. His father, **Kaladharan Nair**, is a mechanical engineer and his mother, **Prema Nair**, is a teacher. The family moved to Bengaluru when Karun was young. He has one sibling, an elder sister named **Shruthi Nair**. On 19 January 2020, Karun married his longtime girlfriend **Sanaya Tankariwala**, a media professional. The couple has two children – a son **Kayaan Nair** and a daughter **Samara Nair**.
Family Tree
Name Relationship
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Karun Nair Self
Kaladharan Nair Father (mechanical engineer)
Prema Nair Mother (teacher)
Shruthi Nair Sister
Sanaya Tankariwala (Nair) Wife (media professional)
Kayaan Nair Son (b. 2022)
Samara Nair Daughter (b. 2023)
Karun’s parents hail from Chengannur in Kerala, but he grew up in Bangalore. His mother taught at his school (Chinmaya Vidyalaya) until 4th grade.
Education and Personal Life
Karun Nair’s education was in Bengaluru. He attended **Chinmaya Vidyalaya** (until fourth grade) and then **Frank Anthony Public School**, choosing schools that supported his cricket training. He later earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree from **Jain University, Bangalore**. Nair is multilingual – fluent in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil, with Malayalam as his mother tongue.
Off the field, Nair has some interesting hobbies and experiences. He was a keen long-distance runner in his youth (once doing 10 laps of Chinnaswamy Stadium), though a knee injury eventually curtailed this. He is also famously a **food lover**, admitting he rarely sticks to strict diets. In July 2016, just after his India debut, he survived a dangerous snake-boat accident in the Pampa River (Kerala) during a temple visit.
Cricket Career Overview
Domestic Career
Karun Nair made a strong impact in domestic cricket for **Karnataka**. He debuted in first-class (Ranji Trophy) cricket in 2013–14. In that debut Ranji season he scored nearly 500 runs in 6 matches (including 3 centuries), famously hitting a winning six that ended Karnataka’s 15-year Ranji title drought. He was a key member of Karnataka’s back-to-back Ranji Trophy wins in 2014 and 2015. In the 2014–15 Ranji final, Nair smashed 328 runs (highest score in a Ranji final, breaking a 68-year record).
After several seasons with Karnataka (where he scored 500+ runs in 2015–16 Ranji), Nair moved to **Vidarbha** ahead of the 2023–24 season. In 2023–24 he became one of Vidarbha’s leaders: he scored 863 runs (4 centuries) in Ranji 2023–24 and captained them to their third Ranji Trophy title. In the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare (India’s 50-over List A trophy), he topped the run charts with 779 runs (5 consecutive hundreds) and set a record 542 runs without dismissal.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
Nair’s IPL journey began with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012 (though he had to wait until 2013 for his first game). He then moved to Rajasthan Royals for 2014–15, where he had a breakout season (330 runs in 11 matches in 2014). Delhi Daredevils signed him in 2016, and he had a strong 2016 season (357 runs in 14 matches, including three fifties), even captaining Delhi for a few games in 2017 after Zaheer Khan’s injury.
In the 2018 auction Nair was bought by **Kings XI Punjab**, where he played through 2019–20. He joined **Kolkata Knight Riders** in 2021, returned to Rajasthan Royals in 2022, and then signed with Delhi Capitals for 2025. In the 2025 IPL opener, he made an explosive 89\* off 40 balls against Mumbai Indians. Over his IPL career he has earned multi-crore contracts (e.g. ₹5.6 crore in 2018) and also featured in franchise marketing.
International Career
Nair earned his first India call-up in mid-2016. He made his **ODI debut** on 11 June 2016 against Zimbabwe in Harare. Later that year he debuted in **Test cricket** on 26 November 2016 against England in Mohali. In only his third Test innings (Chennai, Dec 2016), Nair played a record-breaking innings of 303\* – which not only made him India’s second triple-centurion (after Sehwag) but also the fastest player ever (in terms of innings) to convert his maiden Test hundred into a triple century. He was named Player of the Match in that Chennai Test. However, with established players returning from injury, he was soon rotated out of the side.
After years in the domestic circuit, Nair’s stellar 2023–25 form earned him a recall to the national Test team in 2025. He played in the 2025 England tour (Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy) at number 3. (As of mid-2025 he has 9 Tests, 505 Test runs at 42.08 avg, and 2 ODIs for India.)
Awards and Achievements
Second Indian Triple-Centurion:** Scored 303\* in a Test vs England (Dec 2016) – only Virender Sehwag had done it before.
Fastest Triple in Tests: Reached 300 in just his third Test innings.
Maiden Hundred to Triple: Only Indian (and third man ever) to convert a maiden Test century into a triple century.
Ranji Records:-: His 328 in the 2014–15 Ranji final is the highest individual score ever in a Ranji final. He helped Karnataka win Ranji titles in 2014 and 2015, including hitting the winning six to end their 15-year drought. He later led Vidarbha to a Ranji title in 2023 and set the List A run record in 2024–25 Vijay Hazare (779 runs).
IPL Performances: Scored 357 runs in IPL 2016 and captained Delhi Capitals in several matches (2017).
Player of the Match: Named Man of the Match for India in the Chennai Test (Dec 2016) where he scored 303\*.
Net Worth
Karun Nair’s earnings come from IPL contracts, BCCI central contracts, and endorsements. According to reports, his net worth is estimated around ₹2–3 crore as of 2025. Key income sources include:
Source Details --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPL Salaries Contracts over 2013–2025 ranged from ₹8 lakh (2013) up to ₹5.6 crore (2018, 2019). For example, he drew ₹4 crore for DD in 2016 and ₹5.6 crore for KXIP in 2018.
BCCI Central Contract Grade C Indian contract: ₹50 lakh (2016–17) and ₹1 crore (2017–18). |
Endorsements Brand deals (e.g. with DNI Home Theatre, Gray-Nicolls); IPL franchise campaigns.
Property/Assets Owns a house in Bengaluru; owns cars including a Skoda sedan and a Ford Mustang. (Assets not counted in net worth estimate.)
Net Worth (estimated) 2–3 crore (approx.).
Interesting Facts
Triple-Ton Speed: Nair’s 303\* came in his third Test innings, making it the quickest maiden triple century in Test history.
Familial Influence: His mother taught at Chinmaya Vidyalaya where he studied; he joined the school in 2000 under her guidance
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Ranji Record: His 328 in the 2014–15 Ranji final (560 balls) is the highest score ever in a Ranji final (breaking a 68-year-old record)
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Lingual Talent: He is fluent in five languages (English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil).
* Escaped Major Accident:** In July 2016, Nair survived when a snake-boat capsized in Kerala; he has said he didn’t know how to swim but was rescued by locals.
Health Background:** Born prematurely with weak lungs, doctors encouraged his parents to take him into sports from infancy.
*Fitness Buff:** He was once an avid long-distance runner (ten or more laps of stadium running), until knee issues emerged.
*Self-Description:** Nair has joked that he “can’t stick to a particular diet for more than a month” due to his love of food.
Conclusion
Karun Nair’s career has been a rollercoaster of spectacular highs and long waits. After bursting onto the scene with one of India’s greatest Test innings, he endured years of domestic grind. In 2023–25 he revived his career with prolific domestic runs for Vidarbha and returned to the Indian Test side. Today Nair remains a respected figure: a talented batter with a triple-century to his name, and a domestic stalwart for both Karnataka and Vidarbha. As he continues his journey, fans remember him for that historic 303\* and hope for more big innings from the Bengaluru-born batsman.
FAQs
* Q: Who is Karun Nair?**
A: Karun Nair is an Indian cricketer (batsman) born in 1991. He has played Test and ODI cricket for India, and domestic cricket for Karnataka and Vidarbha. He is best known for scoring an unbeaten 303 in a Test match (England vs India, 2016) – India’s second-ever triple century.
* Q: What is Karun Nair’s highest Test score and notable records?**
A: His highest Test score is **303 not out**, scored against England in December 2016. With that innings he set records as the quickest player (by innings) to a maiden triple century and became only the second Indian (after Sehwag) to make 300 in Tests. Domestically, he holds the record for the highest score in a Ranji Trophy final (328).
* Q: Which teams has Karun Nair played for?**
A: Domestically, Nair played for **Karnataka** (winning Ranji titles) and later **Vidarbha**. In the IPL he has played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (2012–13), Rajasthan Royals (2014–15, 2022), Delhi Capitals (2016–17, 2025), Kings XI Punjab (2018–20), and Kolkata Knight Riders (2021).
* Q: Is Karun Nair married, and who is his spouse?**
A: Yes. Karun Nair married his longtime girlfriend **Sanaya Tankariwala** (a media professional) in January 2020. The couple has two children – a son named Kayaan and a daughter named Samara.
* Q: What is Karun Nair’s net worth and income sources?**
A: As of 2025, Karun Nair’s estimated net worth is around **₹2–3 crore**. His earnings come mainly from IPL contracts (several multi-crore seasons, e.g. ₹5.6 crore in 2018), BCCI central contracts (Grade C salaries of ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore), and a few endorsements with brands like DNI Home Theatre and Gray-Nicolls.
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