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Latest buzz in and around the Indian cricketing circle has been about Karun Nair, the emphatic top-order batter who is delivering consecutive standout performances for his domestic side, Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The 33-year-old is currently the top scorer of the prestigious tournament with a whopping 664 runs in 6 innings. Nair has aced 5 centuries in the tournament so far and has currently emerged as a major talking points due to his standout performances with the bat.
However, Nair’s journey to this impeccable domestic record was never easy. Nair has been in the Indian domestic circle for more than a decade, starting his career for Karnataka in a first-class match against Punjab. While the talent was evident, the performances told a completely different story as his career never took off to the next level.
Kaun Nair’s struggles with teams in domestic cricket
Nair represented Karnataka for several seasons. However, the 33-year-old was dropped from the squad during the 2022-23 season. Frustrated with the lack of game time, Nair moved out of Karnataka to focus on getting more game time. The top-order batter opted to play for Vidarbha and got off to a flying start for the side by becoming Vidarbha’s top-scorer in the Ranji Trophy season.
Also Read: Will Karun Nair play for India again? Selectors keen after his heroics in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25
Karun Nair’s IPL journey
Karun Nair made his debut in the IPL during the 2012 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He played for RCB for two seasons before moving to Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he spent two consecutive years. In 2016, he joined Delhi Capitals (DC), where he continued for two seasons. Following his release by Capitals in 2018, Nair was acquired by Punjab Kings (PBKS), where he played for three seasons. His IPL journey took him to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2021 for a single season, after which he returned to Royals in 2022. After the 2022 season, Nair decided to take a break from the IPL to focus on improving his batting skills. His hiatus ended when he made a comeback in 2025, after Capitals re-signed him for the upcoming season.
Karun Nair’s IPL salary
Nair’s IPL earnings began modestly, starting with ₹8 lakhs per season at RCB. His salary grew when he moved to Royals in 2014, where he earned ₹75 lakhs annually for two years. His move to Capitals in 2016 brought a significant increase to ₹4 crores per season. From 2018 to 2020, Nair was part of Punjab Kings, securing ₹5.6 crores annually. In 2021, he joined KKR for ₹50 lakhs before returning to Royals in 2022 for ₹1.4 crores. His 2025 contract with Delhi Capitals came at ₹50 lakhs, with a base salary of ₹30 lakhs. Over the course of his IPL career, Nair has accumulated a total of ₹28.86 crores.
