Karun Nair extended his excellent domestic form, notching up a double century to put Karnataka in a strong position on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy match against Kerala.On the opening day, after opting to bat first, Karnataka were in early trouble, losing both openers in quick succession to be 13/2. Nair then stitched a 124-run partnership with Krishnan Shrijith (65) to steady the ship.However, it was his unbeaten 297-run fourth-wicket stand with Ravichandran Smaran (139* not out) that helped Karnataka move towards a big first innings total.Karun’s knock was studded with 21 boundaries and two sixes.Nair had been dropped from the Indian Test team after the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. According to BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, the selectors “expected a little bit more” from Nair during the England tour. After being overlooked for the West Indies series, another setback awaited the 33-year-old as he failed to make the India A squad for the upcoming two-match red-ball series against South Africa A at home.Karun’s India recall had been built on the 1,553 runs he scored in the Ranji Trophy over the last two seasons for Vidarbha. Though disappointed, the 33-year-old remains far from finished. He continues doing what he does best — piling on runs. After scoring 73 and 8 against Saurashtra in the season opener, Karun crafted an unbeaten 174 against Goa last week.Speaking to the media after that knock, which he couldn’t convert into a double century due to a lack of partners, Karun said, “There are certain goals that I’ve set for myself, which I wouldn’t want to talk about. But the primary goal is to win games for the team.”

The middle-order batter didn’t hide his disappointment at being ignored by the national selectors. “It’s quite disappointing (being dropped), but I know I deserve to be there after the last two years of domestic cricket I’ve had. People might have their own opinions, but personally, I believe I deserve a lot better.”Still determined, Karun added, “All I can do is keep scoring runs — that’s my job. I just keep telling myself that I deserve more than a series. I don’t want that to affect my mindset. All I want is to play for the country. That’s the only target. If not, then I’ll focus on winning games for the side I’m playing for.”