The most relevant recent meeting between the Kerala Cricket Team and Karnataka Cricket Team was their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Elite Group B clash at the KCA Cricket Ground, Mangalapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, from November 1 to 4, 2025. Karnataka produced a dominant performance after winning the toss and batting first, declaring on 586/5. Karun Nair led the way with a magnificent 233 from 389 balls, while Ravichandran Smaran remained unbeaten on 220. Kerala replied with 238 in the first innings, despite Baba Aparajith’s 88, and was forced to follow on. Karnataka’s bowlers then completed the job as Kerala were dismissed for 184 in the second innings. Mohsin Khan’s 6/29 was the standout bowling performance. Karnataka won by an innings and 164 runs, earning seven points, with Karun Nair named Player of the Match.
Quick Match Summary
| Detail | Information |
| Match | Kerala vs Karnataka |
| Competition | Ranji Trophy 2025-26 |
| Stage | Elite Group B |
| Dates | November 1–4, 2025 |
| Venue | KCA Cricket Ground, Mangalapuram, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Toss | Karnataka won and elected to bat |
| Karnataka | 586/5 declared |
| Kerala 1st innings | 238 all out |
| Kerala 2nd innings | 184 all out |
| Result | Karnataka won by an innings and 164 runs |
| Player of the Match | Karun Nair – 233 |
| Points | Karnataka 7, Kerala 0 |
The match was completed before the scheduled fourth-day close, with Karnataka securing a comprehensive innings victory.
Match Scorecard
Karnataka 1st Innings – 586/5 declared
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s |
| KV Aneesh | 8 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Mayank Agarwal (c) | 5 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Krishnan Shrijith | 65 | 110 | 10 | 0 |
| Karun Nair | 233 | 389 | 25 | 2 |
| Smaran Ravichandran | 220* | 390 | 16 | 3 |
| Abhinav Manohar | 20 | 34 | 1 | 0 |
| Shreyas Gopal | 16* | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| Extras | 19 | |||
| Total | 586/5 dec. | 167 overs |
Karun Nair and Smaran Ravichandran were the defining figures. Nair made 233, while Smaran stayed unbeaten on 220. Their enormous partnership transformed Karnataka’s early 13/2 into a total of 586/5.
Kerala Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ. |
| MD Nidheesh | 25 | 7 | 65 | 1 | 2.60 |
| Nedumankuzhy Basil | 32 | 3 | 101 | 2 | 3.20 |
| Vaisakh Chandran | 21 | 1 | 103 | 1 | 4.90 |
| Harikrishnan MU | 25 | 1 | 114 | 0 | 4.60 |
| Baba Aparajith | 44 | 5 | 121 | 1 | 2.80 |
| Akshay Chandran | 20 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 3.40 |
Kerala’s bowlers initially made progress by reducing Karnataka to 13/2, but the long middle-order partnership completely changed the contest. (Cricbuzz)
Kerala 1st Innings – 238 All Out
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s |
| Krishna Prasad | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Nedumankuzhy Basil | 12 | 42 | 2 | 0 |
| MD Nidheesh | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Vaisakh Chandran | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Akshay Chandran | 11 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| Sachin Baby | 31 | 82 | 4 | 0 |
| Baba Aparajith | 88 | 159 | 8 | 4 |
| Ahammed Imran | 31 | 61 | 4 | 0 |
| Mohammed Azharuddeen | 6 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Shoun Roger | 29 | 85 | 5 | 0 |
| Eden Apple Tom | 10* | 60 | 2 | 0 |
| Harikrishnan MU | 6 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Extras | 10 | |||
| Total | 238 all out | 95 overs |
Baba Aparajith’s 88 was the standout innings for Kerala. Sachin Baby and Ahammed Imran added 31 each, but Karnataka’s attack kept taking wickets at regular intervals.
Karnataka Bowling – 1st Innings
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ. |
| Vidwath Kaverappa | 22 | 9 | 42 | 4 | 1.90 |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak | 21 | 6 | 62 | 3 | 3.00 |
| Shreyas Gopal | 20 | 6 | 47 | 1 | 2.40 |
| Shikhar Shetty | 20 | 2 | 53 | 2 | 2.60 |
| Mohsin Khan | 12 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 2.00 |
Kaverappa’s 4/42 and Vyshak’s 3/62 ensured Kerala could not build enough partnerships to challenge Karnataka’s huge total.
Kerala 2nd Innings – 184 All Out
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s |
| Krishna Prasad | 33 | 87 | 5 | 0 |
| MD Nidheesh | 9 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Akshay Chandran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohammed Azharuddeen | 15 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| Ahammed Imran | 23 | 76 | 2 | 0 |
| Baba Aparajith | 19 | 57 | 1 | 1 |
| Sachin Baby | 12 | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| Shoun Roger | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Harikrishnan MU | 6 | 94 | 1 | 0 |
| Vaisakh Chandran | 4 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Eden Apple Tom | 39* | 68 | 7 | 0 |
| Extras | 24 | |||
| Total | 184 all out | 79.3 overs |
Eden Apple Tom remained unbeaten on 39, while Krishna Prasad made 33. But Mohsin Khan’s exceptional spell destroyed Kerala’s lower order and closed out the innings.
Winning Team Innings Analysis
Karnataka’s victory was built on one extraordinary batting phase.
The visitors lost Mayank Agarwal for five and KV Aneesh for eight, leaving them 13/2. At that point, Kerala had an opportunity to control the first innings.
Instead, Karun Nair and Krishnan Shrijith steadied the innings. Shrijith made 65 before departing with Karnataka on 136. Nair then formed the decisive partnership with Smaran Ravichandran.
Nair’s 233 came from 389 deliveries and included 25 fours and two sixes. Smaran was even more patient, finishing unbeaten on 220 from 390 balls. Their partnership was the central reason Karnataka could declare at 586/5 after 167 overs. (Cricbuzz)
The scale of the total mattered. Karnataka did not merely take a first-innings lead; it put Kerala under the pressure of having to bat twice simply to avoid an innings defeat.
Chasing Team Innings Analysis
Kerala’s first innings began badly, with the team losing three wickets for only 14 runs. Baba Aparajith then produced the innings that gave the hosts some respectability.
His 88 from 159 balls included eight fours and four sixes. He shared useful partnerships with Ahammed Imran and Sachin Baby, helping Kerala recover from the early collapse.
However, Kerala reached only 238, leaving Karnataka with a first-innings advantage of 348 runs.
The follow-on brought another difficult challenge. Krishna Prasad’s 33 and Eden Apple Tom’s unbeaten 39 provided resistance, but Kerala never threatened to make Karnataka bat again.
The second innings ended at 184 in 79.3 overs, meaning Karnataka won by an innings and 164 runs.
Bowling Analysis
Karnataka’s attack was particularly effective across both Kerala innings.
Vidwath Kaverappa took 4/42 in the first innings and followed it with 2/28 in the second. His combined figures of 6/70 were important in establishing and maintaining pressure.
Vijaykumar Vyshak also made a major contribution, taking 3/62 in the first innings. Shikhar Shetty claimed two wickets, while Shreyas Gopal added one.
But the defining bowling spell came in Kerala’s second innings.
Mohsin Khan took 6/29 from 23.3 overs, including five maidens. His economy rate of just 1.23 made it extremely difficult for Kerala’s batters to escape the pressure.
That spell turned a strong Karnataka position into an emphatic innings victory.
Turning Point
The decisive turning point was the partnership between Karun Nair and Smaran Ravichandran.
Karnataka were 136/3 when Shrijith departed, but Nair and Smaran then added 343 runs. The partnership lasted 585 balls and completely exhausted Kerala’s bowling options.
Nair eventually fell at 479, but by then the damage was irreversible. Smaran continued to 220 not out, and Karnataka declared on 586/5.
Once Kerala conceded a 348-run first-innings deficit, the match effectively became a battle for survival rather than victory.
Key Match Statistics
| Statistic | Figure |
| Karnataka | 586/5 declared |
| Kerala 1st innings | 238 |
| Kerala 2nd innings | 184 |
| Karnataka winning margin | An innings and 164 runs |
| Karun Nair | 233 off 389 |
| Smaran Ravichandran | 220 off 390* |
| Baba Aparajith | 88 off 159 |
| Eden Apple Tom | 39 off 68* |
| Kaverappa, 1st innings | 4/42 |
| Mohsin Khan, 2nd innings | 6/29 |
| Karnataka points | 7 |
| Kerala points | 0 |
(ESPN.com)
Records & Milestones
- Karun Nair scored 233, the highest individual score of the match, and was named Player of the Match.
- Smaran Ravichandran made 220 not out, giving Karnataka two double-centuries in the same innings.
- Karun Nair and Smaran Ravichandran shared a 343-run partnership.
- Mohsin Khan took 6/29, his standout performance in the match. Contemporary reporting described it as a career-best six-wicket haul.
- Vidwath Kaverappa took four wickets in Kerala’s first innings and two in the second.
- Karnataka collected seven points, while Kerala received none.
Head-to-Head Record
The broader first-class head-to-head record strongly favors Karnataka. Wisden’s head-to-head listing records 21 Karnataka wins, two Kerala wins and no ties or no-results in the meetings covered there.
The recent rivalry has also included draws. Their October 2024 Ranji Trophy meeting at Alur ended with Karnataka on 161/3 when the match was drawn, while their January 2023 meeting also ended in a draw.\
The November 2025 encounter was therefore a significant departure from those recent drawn contests: Karnataka dominated from the moment it established its huge first-innings total.
What This Result Means
For Karnataka, the seven-point victory was a major boost in the Ranji Trophy group stage. The side’s batting depth was evident, with three batters making at least 65 and two passing 200.
The victory also showed the value of converting a strong start into a match-defining total. Losing two early wickets did not destabilize Karnataka. Instead, Nair and Smaran turned the innings into a marathon partnership.
Kerala’s biggest concern was its inability to respond to that pressure. Aparajith’s 88 was admirable, but the rest of the batting unit could not produce enough sustained resistance.
The second innings was even more damaging. Mohsin Khan’s six-wicket haul ensured Kerala never built a meaningful partnership and was bowled out for 184.
Conclusion
The Kerala vs Karnataka match scorecard from the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 tells the story of a one-sided contest shaped by two huge batting performances and one outstanding bowling spell.
Karnataka recovered from 13/2 to declare on 586/5, thanks primarily to Karun Nair’s 233 and Smaran Ravichandran’s unbeaten 220. Kerala responded with 238, with Baba Aparajith’s 88 standing out as the lone major resistance.
The follow-on brought little relief. Kerala reached only 184, with Mohsin Khan’s 6/29 completing Karnataka’s domination. Karnataka therefore secured an innings-and-164-run victory, while Karun Nair collected Player of the Match honours.
It was a performance built around patience, massive partnerships and relentless bowling pressure — exactly the combination needed to win a Ranji Trophy match by an innings.
