Karun Nair made his return to Indian test team after seven years.
Karun Nair may be included in the playing XI for India’s first test match against England at Headingley on June 2, according to hints made by head coach Gautam Gambhir. However, neither he nor new captain Shubman Gill has commented on the potential batting order.
It implies that, among other things, it is still unclear who would fill the void left by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who both announced their retirement from test cricket last month.
Nair’s inclusion follows a successful domestic season in every format. Additionally, he applied a similar form to the current India A tour of England. and hammered a double ton against the England Lions in the first unofficial test match.
“Karun Nair’s experience will definitely come in handy.” – Gautam Gambhir
During the forthcoming tour of England, head coach Gautam Gambhir has alluded to Karun Nair making a comeback to the test team. When given the chance, Gambhir said, the Karnataka batter will be given a longer run, and the squad would benefit from his experience and performance in English conditions.
India’s 18-man team for the five-match test series, which kicks off on June 20, includes Nair. After a successful run in domestic cricket, the 33-year-old has been called up to the test setup for the first time in seven years.
“It’s great for domestic cricket. It’s great for the future of domestic cricket. All the youngsters who are playing domestic cricket will understand its importance: ‘If you keep doing well in domestic cricket, doors are never shut.
It’s good to have the experience of Karun, who has played a bit of county cricket. He has scored runs there and hit a double hundred for India A. It’s always good to have players who are in good form on these kinds of tours. His experience will definitely come in handy, and hopefully he can deliver,” Gambhir stated about Karun Nair in the press conference.
“More importantly, we will not judge someone by one or two tests. You guys can. We won’t. I think if someone has scored heaps of runs, he will be given a good run at this level as well so that he can showcase his talent here,” Gambhir added.
Karun Nair has played six tests for India till now, scoring 374 runs with the best of 303*. He is only the second Indian to score a test triple hundred after Virender Sehwag, who made two triple tons.
Karun Nair’s purple patch
Nair, who played for Northamptonshire in 2023 and 2024, also contributes invaluable County Championship experience in English conditions. He amassed 736 runs at a remarkable average of 52.57 across 10 games, including an outstanding double century.
He had a remarkable season on the home circuit after carrying that form across. Nair, who finished as the fourth-highest run scorer, played a key role in Vidarbha winning Ranji Trophy 2024–25 season. In 16 innings, he scored 863 runs at an average of 53.93, including two half-centuries and four centuries.
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