Karun Nair became the first batsman in 68 years to score a triple century in a Ranji Trophy final. The first to do so was Baroda’s Gul Mohammad (319) against Holkar at the Central college ground, Baroda in the final of the 1946-47 season.
The five feet seven inch tall right-hander chose to hit a reverse-sweep off Malolan Rangarajan to reach the milestone. “I wanted to take two runs, but it turned out to be a boundary,” said Karun.
Unbeaten on 310, he said that Karnataka would look to bat for as long as possible.
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The 23-year-old Karun became the second Karnataka batsman and 32nd overall to achieve the feat. It was a remarkable show of endurance, occupying the crease for 13 hours and 35 minutes, with the primary aim of making his team’s position secure in order to win the prestigious trophy for the second year in a row. Earlier in the season, K.L. Rahul became the first to score a triple hundred for the State; he made 337 against Uttar Pradesh in a league match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Karun entered the final with a tally of 381 runs in nine matches, and was keen to score a century. He was one of Karnataka’s architects in the Ranji Trophy triumph last year, but by his own admission, was in dismal form this season.
Reduced to 16 for three after Rahul had retired hurt, Karun arrived at the crease in the sixth over and has now batted for 185 overs and one ball.
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“It is a special feeling to be among GRV Sir (Gundappa’s 247 against Uttar Pradesh for Karnataka in the 1977-78 Ranji final). I have not interacted with him much, but once he told me that every opportunity is big and to make it count. I did not play a few boundary shots early on Monday. Otherwise, I don’t think I missed a chance to hit a four. I was a bit tired around tea time today (Tuesday); I drank water and stretched a few times. The wicket is still good to bat on; perhaps, getting slower.”
List of triple century makers:
443 not out: Bhausaheb Nimbalkar, Maharashtra v Kathiawar, Poona Club, 1948/49
377: Sanjay Manjrekar, Bombay v Hyderabad, Wankhede Stadium, Bombay 1990/91
366: M.V., Sridhar, Hyderabad v Andhra, Gymkhana ground, Secunderabad,1993/94
359 not out: Vijay Merchant, Bombay v Maharashtra, Brabourne Stadium, Bombay,1943/44
353: V.V.S. Laxman, Hyderabad v Karnataka, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore,1999/00
352:Cheteshwar Pujara, Saurashtra v Karnataka, Saurashtra University Ground, Rajkot,2012/13
340: Sunil Gavaskar, Bombay v Bengal, Wankhede Stadium, Bombay, 1981/82
337: K.L. Rahul, Karnataka v Uttar Pradesh, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, 2014/15
331:Ravindra Jadeja, Saurashtra v Railways, Khandheri Cricket Stadium, Rajkot, 2012/13
327: Kedar Jadhav, Maharashtra v Uttar Pradesh, Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Gahunje, 2012/13
323: Ajit Wadekar, Bombay v Mysore, Brabourne Stadium, Bombay, 1966/67
323: Devangh Gandhi, Bengal v Assam, NEF Railway Stadium, Guwahati, 1998/99
319: Gul Mohammad, Baroda v Holkar, Central College Ground, Baroda, 1946/47
316 not out: Vijay Hazare, Maharashtra v Baroda, Poona Club, 1939/40
314 not out: Wasim Jaffer,Mumbai v Saurashtra, Municipal Stadium, Rajkot, 1996/97
314: Ravindra Jadeja, Saurashtra v Orissa, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, 2011/12
313: W.V. Raman, Tamil Nadu v Goa, Bhausaheb Bandodkar Ground, Panaji, 1988/89
312: Raman Lamba, Delhi v Himachal Pradesh, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, 1994/95
312: Sunny Singh, Haryana v Madhya Pradesh, Emerald School Ground, Indore, 2009/10
309 not out: Rohit Sharma, Mumbai v Gujarat, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, 2009/10
308 not out: Dinesh Mongia, Punjab v Jammu and Kashmir, Gandhi Stadium, Jalandhar, 2000/01
308: K. Sikar Bharat, Andhra v Goa, Sarma College ground, Ongole, 2014/15
306 not out: Sreekumar Nair, Kerala v Services, Fort Maidan, Palakkad, 2007/08
305 not out: Pankaj Dharmani, Punjab v Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab Agricultural University ground, Ludhiana, 1999/00
303 not out: Abdul Azeem: Hyderabad v Tamil Nadu, Gymkhana ground, Secunderabad, 1986/87
303 not out: Ravindra Jadeja: Saurashtra v Gujarat, Lalabhai Contractor stadium, Surat, 2012/13
302 not out: A. Kripal Singh, Tamil Nadu v Goa, Bhausaheb Bandodkar Ground, Panaji, 1988/89
302 not out : Cheteshwar Pujara: Saurashtra v Orissa, Khandheri, Rajkot, 2008/09
301 not out: V.V.S. Laxman, Hyderabad v Bihar, Keenan, Jamshedpur, 1997/98
301: Wasim Jaffer, Mumbai v Saurashtra, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, 2008/09
301 not out: Aakash Chopra, Rajasthan v Maharashtra, Golf Club Ground, Nasik, 2010/11
300 not out: Shiv Sundar Das, Orissa v Jammu and Kashmir, Barabati, Cuttack, 2006/07
300 not out: Abhinav Mukund: Tamil Nadu v Maharashtra, Golf Club Ground, Nasik, 2008/09
300 not out: Taruwar Kohli, Punjab v Jharkhand, Keenan Stadium, Jamshedpur, 2012/13.