Karun Nair received India call-up after 8 years following which he expressed how he felt after getting to know about his selection. He mentioned that this was the moment he was waiting for and the 33-year old batter was grateful to be back. Karun Nair is popularly known for his triple century in Test cricket and was present in International setup since 2017.
Karun Nair had an exceptional domestic season that forced selectors to pick him, in the Ranji Trophy Karun Nair amassed 863 runs in 9 matches this also included four centuries. In Vijay Hazare Trophy he scored 779 runs in just 8 innings which also included five centuries. Karun Nair’s fantastic performance was the reason Vidarbha won their maiden Ranji Trophy title.
Karun Nair roaring form in domestic circuit to International cricket Journey
Karun Nair has been unstoppable in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 and has already scored five hundreds in the tournament this year. Karun Nair made his India debut in 2016, following consistent performances in the domestic circuit. The highlight of his short international career was the triple hundred in his third Test against England. In fact, it was his maiden international hundred.
The prolific batsman Karun Nair has emerged as the top run-scorer for his team, amassing an impressive 752 runs in seven matches at an astonishing average of 752.00, thanks to remaining unbeaten in six of those innings. Karun Nair’s remarkable tally includes five centuries and one half-century, with a highest score of 163 and a strike rate of 125.96.
Karun Nair stands on the brink of shattering an all-time record in the tournament. If he adds 79 more runs during the competition, he will surpass Tamil Nadu’s Narayan Jagadeesan record of 830 runs, which was achieved in eight matches at an average of 138.33, along with a strike rate exceeding 125 and five centuries, including a best score of 277, during the 2022/23 edition of the tournament.
His stellar performance in the trophy has drawn significant attention and admiration from the cricketing community, with many fans calling for his return to the Indian national team. Karun Nair last represented India in March 2017 and holds the distinction of being the only Test triple centurion for India after the legendary Virender Sehwag.
In six Tests since his debut in 2016, Karun Nair has accumulated 374 runs over seven innings, boasting an average of 62.33 and a top score of 303. He has also featured in two ODIs for India, scoring 46 runs with a best of 39. Following his impressive form Karun Nair has earned a rightful call to the England tour after seven year haitus.
Ahead of the England tour , Karun Nair featured in India A’s clash against England Lions in Canterbury and scored an impressive double century. The visitors were put on the back foot with the wickets of Abhimanyu Easwaran and Yashasvi Jaiswal but Karun Nair and Sarfaraz Khan played to their merit and stitched a partnership of 181 runs. After Sarfaraz departed for 92 runs, Karun Nair and Dhruv Jurel took over and put India in a comfortable position.
33-year-old Karun Nair brought up his double-century on the second day of India A’s first unofficial Test against the England Lions. Karun Nair has made the most of his return to the India A team and will now be looking to punish the English bowling attack even further as the play continues. Coach Gautam Gambhir is in full praise of Karun Nair’s temparament and promises him a long run in the test career as an experienced batter.
Gautam Gambhir addresses Karun Nair to be India’s key player in England
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has asserted that the team management will give comeback man Karun Nair a decent run to showcase his talent on the big stage against England in the five-match Test series. Karun Nair is called back to India’s Test squad for the England tour for the first time after 2017, and with the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, he has a golden opportunity to cement his place in the red-ball set-up.
The stylish batter also made a statement with a double century in India A’s first unofficial Test against England Lions. Nair came out to bat at the number 3 position and scored 204 runs of 281 balls, which was embellished with some classy strokes as he hit 26 fours and a six. Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the media before departing for England, where he heaped praise on Karun Nair for grinding in domestic cricket to make a comeback into the Test side.
“It’s great for the future of domestic cricket because all the youngsters who are playing domestic cricket know the importance of domestic cricket. If you keep doing well in domestic cricket, those doors are never shut. It’s always good to have the experience of a guy who’s played a bit of county cricket. There is when he is in a very good form, where he’s got a 200 for India A,” Gambhir said in the press conference.
Gambhir further stated that the team management will back Karun and give him enough chances to showcase his talent.
“We will not judge someone by just one or two Test matches. I think if someone has scored heaps of runs, I think he will be given a decent run so that he can showcase his talent at this level as well,” he added.
After scoring a triple century against England in 2016, Karun only got to play three more Tests and was dropped from the Test squad after Australia series in March 2017.
The head coach asserted that Karun’s red-ball experience, along with the county cricket he played in the past, will be handy for India.
“So it’s always good to have players, especially who are in good form, who are among the ranks as well. So his experience will come in handy, and hopefully, he can deliver,” he added.
India will be led by Shubman Gill against England while Rishabh Pant will serve as his deputy.Team India’s tour of England begins with the series opener in Headingley, Leeds on June 20. The five-match series officially kicks off the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle
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