Arun Karthick likely to play for Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: There may not be much clarity as to when the domestic season will start but wicketkeeper-batsman KB Arun Karthick is likely to return to the Tamil Nadu fold.


"He has had talks with the TNCA over the last few weeks and he is likely to be rejoining the side once he gets a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the Cricket Association of Pondicherry," said a source close to the development.

The 34-year-old had made his first-class debut for TN in 2008 and played for the side till 2013 before switching allegiance to Assam. After representing Assam from 2013 to 2016, Arun moved to Kerala in 2017. Kerala was Arun's home in 2017 and 2018 before he moved to Pondicherry last season.

The team think tank believes that Arun could strengthen the batting unit. "Arun is a local lad who learned the nuances of the game here and is a team man. He could be a good value addition to the side as he has played so many years of experience playing domestic cricket and his presence will add solidity to the Tamil Nadu batting line-up. He is also a wicketkeeper who can don the gloves whenever the situation arises," added the source. From 83 first-class outings, Arun has scored 4477 runs with 9 centuries and 23 fifties.

TN had earlier roped in the services of Kerala medium-pacer Sandeep Warrier in a bid to shore up their pace bowling department which has often struggled in the last few seasons.