He said the batter received enough chances but failed to take advantage.
Karun Nair returned to Test cricket after eight years during the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but things did not go well for him. Featuring in four out of five matches, the right-hander managed only 205 runs from eight innings, averaging 25.62 with just one half-century and no standout performance.
AUSA-W
–
INDA-W
–
NDT
172/6
EDR
174/3
East Delhi Riders beat New Delhi Tigers by 7 wickets
NDS
163/7
ODW
144/9
North Delhi Strikers beat Outer Delhi Warriors by 19 runs
PD
–
WDL
–
CDK
–
SDS
–
CRO
–
CYP
–
CRO
–
CYP
–
WIM
128/7
LCC
127/7
Wimbledon beat London County Cricket by 3 wickets
KSP
98/7
LCC
139/10
London County Cricket beat Kreative Sports XI by 41 runs
WIM
155/6
CPP
120/6
Wimbledon beat CFS Pinnacle Pro by 35 runs
CPP
162/5
KSP
164/4
Kreative Sports XI beat CFS Pinnacle Pro by 2 runs
WIM
150/3
KSP
171/6
Kreative Sports XI beat Wimbledon by 21 runs
ESM
–
LCC
–
KSP
–
SPE
–
BAN
–
CPP
–
WIM
–
WEY
–
MID
289/7
SOM
293/4
Somerset beat Middlesex by 6 wickets
SURR
174/10
LEI
179/4
Leicestershire beat Surrey by 6 wickets
SUSS
–
KENT
–
GLAM
–
DER
–
NOT
–
WOR
–
HAM
–
ESS
–
SWE
–
FRA
–
GTC
65/9
GUG
69/1
Guwahati Giants beat Gauhati Town Club by 9 wickets
BCC
98/10
CCC
105/10
City Cricket Club beat Bud Cricket Club by 7 runs
91YC
–
NVR
–
NAJC
–
GTC
–
KUMS
83/1
CEC-A
82/10
Kuwait Swedish beat CECC by 9 wickets
PCR
106/7
BNC
103/5
Phoenix Cricketers beat Bader & Nie Cricket Club by 3 runs
BCC
–
GUJCC
–
KRMPS
–
KZK
–
SEL
211/2
MEL
85/10
Selangor beat Melaka by 126 runs
JOR
128/4
PHG
127/8
Johor beat Pahang by 6 wickets
PRK
198/7
PENG
98/8
Perak beat Penang by 100 runs
KLPR
245/2
PUT
56/5
Kuala Lumpur beat Putrajaya by 76 runs (D/L) method
HTW
163/5
MDW
128/8
Hubli Tigers Women beat Mangalore Dragons Women by 35 runs
SHLW
113/7
MWW
140/6
Mysore Warriors Women beat Shivamogga Lioness Women by 27 runs
BBW
–
HTW
–
MWW
–
MDW
–
ZIM
–
NZ
–
IRE-W
142/10
PAK-W
131/9
Ireland Women beat Pakistan Women by 11 runs
SLBL
–
SLGR
–
MAO
131/4
SOB
133/9
Southern Brave won by 1 wicket
NOS
–
WEF
–
MOW-W
95/8
SBW-W
96/4
Southern Brave Women beat Manchester Originals Women by 6 wickets
NOS-W
–
WFW-W
–
AUST
–
NOR
–
SWE
–
FRA
–
Former India player Irfan Pathan, speaking on his YouTube channel, rated the performance of Karun Nair 4/10. He said that Karun received enough chances but failed to take advantage.
“Karun Nair gets four out of ten. Why? He didn’t look particularly poor throughout the series. He kept getting starts consistently but managed only one half-century. Karun got plenty of opportunities,” Irfan Pathan said.
One of the most disappointing moments, according to Pathan, came during the Lord’s Test. India were chasing 193, and after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed early, Karun came in at number 3. He was looking settled and built a promising partnership with KL Rahul, but a poor decision to leave an incoming delivery led to an LBW dismissal. That moment triggered a collapse, and although Ravindra Jadeja and the lower order fought hard, India lost the match by 22 runs.
“Cricket definitely gave him a second chance, but he couldn’t capitalise on it the way he should have. Especially in the Lord’s Test, he had a real chance to win the match for India but couldn’t do it,” he added.
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Pathan observed that Karun often got in, played a few good shots, and then threw his wicket away with careless decisions. In the final Test at The Oval, he scored a fifty in the first innings but failed to capitalise in the second, falling for 17. Against bouncers, especially in that match, he looked uncomfortable and lacked confidence.
“Other than that, it often seemed like he was playing well, building up nicely, and then suddenly, he’d play a loose shot and get out. At the Oval, when the bouncer was used against him, he looked a bit shaken and seemed more unsettled and uncomfortable. So, he gets four points,” he concluded.
Former India all-rounder summed it up by saying the comeback was a missed opportunity and that stronger temperament and shot selection were needed at the highest level.
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