Karun Nair’s electrifying century fuelled the Mysore Warriors to a commanding 27-run victory (VJD method) over the Mangaluru Dragons in the second match of the day in the Maharaja Trophy T20 league at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday. Batting first, Karun Nair’s explosive 40-ball century guided Mysore to a formidable total of 226/4 in 20 overs. The Mangaluru Dragons, interrupted by rain mid-innings, were set a revised target of 166 runs in 14 overs but fell well short, suffering their second loss of the campaign.

In the first innings, the Mysore Warriors faced an early setback as Karthik C. A (11) fell to Abhilash Shetty in the third over. Despite this, opener Karthik SU (23) and captain Karun Nair (124*) accumulated 46 runs during the powerplay.

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Nair showcased blistering form, as the duo forged a 47-run partnership, the second-largest stand of the innings. Karthik S.U, who was dropped twice earlier, finally ran out of luck when MB Darshan dismissed him in the eighth over, leaving Mysore at 61/2.

Nair continued his crafty knock unfazed, sweeping and scooping his way to a rapid 27-ball half-century. At the other end, Samit Dravid (16) was scalped by Nischit Rao, just one ball after dispatching him for a maximum.

Abhilash Shetty’s return to the attack saw Sumit Kumar (15) dismissed, bringing Manoj Bhandage (31*) to the crease. Bhandage remained unbeaten and played a brisk 14-ball cameo, complementing Nair’s relentless assault and constructing an 85-run partnership in 29 balls.

Nair launched two sixes and a four against Paras Gurbax Arya in the 15th over before taking down Nischith Rao with three massive sixes to reach a blistering century off just 40 balls in the penultimate over. His century saw 13 fours and nine sixes.

Nair then finished the innings with authority hammering five consecutive boundaries (6, 6, 4, 4, 4) to power Mysore to an imposing 226/4 in their 20 overs.

The Mangaluru Dragons’ run chase faced early setbacks. Karthik CA struck first, removing Macneil Noronha, and J Suchith outfoxed Rohit K before the fifth over.

However, Nikin Jose (32) and KV Siddharth (50) combined effectively, ensuring the chase remained within reach. KV Siddharth hit four boundaries of Vidyadhar Patil in the sixth over as the Mangaluru Dragons made it 61/2 by the end of the powerplay.

After a brief rain-induced stop in the ninth over, the match resumed with Mangaluru Dragons needing 87 runs in 33 balls to reach their revised target of 166 (VJD method). Nikin Jose departed when he was pinged on the pads by J Suchith soon after resumption derailing the 50-run partnership.

Sagar Solanki (0) went next, followed by KV Siddharth, but only after he brought up his half-century in 25 balls, leaving Mangaluru Dragons at 114/5 in 11 overs. Darshan MB put on 12 runs in six balls, to give the Dragons a flicker of hope but he was soon run out and the Mangaluru Dragons finished at 138/7.

After more than a year away from representing Karnataka and over seven years since his last appearance for India, Karun Nair eyes international comeback on the backdrop of the Maharaja Trophy T20 league. Nair leads Mysuru Warriors, who fell short by eight runs in last year’s final against the Manish Pandey-led Hubli Tigers, and they have high hopes this year. Nair was a standout performer during the 2023 campaign, topping the run charts with 532 runs in 12 innings at an impressive strike rate of 162.69.

The 32-year-old cricketer views this season as critical to his personal and professional revival. Having struggled for regular opportunities in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last six years, Nair believes he still has plenty to offer.

Following a year of limited game time with Karnataka, Nair made a strategic switch to Vidarbha ahead of the 2023-24 season, seeking consistent playing opportunities. His immediate goal, however, is to lead the Warriors to the trophy while continuing his journey back to the top.

“They say a player peak at 30-31; I would like to believe that’s true in my case,” Nair told ESPNcricinfo. “The last one-year has been good. After last year’s Maharaja T20, I had a pretty good domestic season.”

Nair’s performance was indeed noteworthy. He scored 690 runs for Vidarbha during their 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign, which ended with a loss to Mumbai in the final. His T20 exploits included a match-winning unbeaten 95 off 52 balls in Vidarbha’s record chase against Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Nair also struck a century and a fifty in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, despite finishing with a modest overall tally of 230 runs in seven innings.

Reflecting on his comeback, Nair said, “If you told me at the start of last season that I would score these many runs, I would have taken that. I had been at home for a year, staved off opportunities, and when nothing worked out, I asked myself what I could do. So, when I got the chance, it felt good to be able to contribute again. The tough years have helped me push myself that much more. For me, the most important game is the one I am playing now. Be it a league game or a domestic game, I have learned not to look far ahead.”

Nair’s resurgence led to an unexpected opportunity when he was called back by Northamptonshire for seven County Championship games earlier this year. Despite not featuring in the IPL, Nair spent the early part of the summer in challenging English conditions, where he amassed 487 runs in 11 innings, including a career-best 202 not out.

“I couldn’t even feel the bat because of the layers we were playing with,” Nair said. “It was tough, but pushing myself through those tough conditions and scoring runs gave me a lot of satisfaction. There’s nothing more confidence-boosting than scoring runs on those pitches early in the summer when the ball does all sorts of things.”

Since returning to India, Nair has been focusing on maintaining his batting rhythm after a brief break. Although overlooked for the Duleep Trophy, he remains confident in his game.

“I feel like I’m batting as well as I’ve ever done. I am in a good headspace; I know where my game is. I am just making sure that if I get opportunities, wherever they may be, I focus on making the most of those chances so that I can climb up the stairs again. It’s still exciting to wake up each morning and dream of finding a way back to play Test cricket. That keeps me going. I would love to win trophies; we missed out on the Ranji last year. I will try to correct it this year.”