He's making it impossible for the selectors to strike out his name for India's upcoming five-Test series in England starting June 20.
One name that has been consistently hitting the headlines and demanding attention from the Indian selectors, almost eight years after his last Test is Karun Nair. His unmatched form in domestic cricket has set the fraternity ablaze. He will soon be seen in the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) outfit for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. But what’s next in store for this batter?
“Short term goal is to win the IPL for Delhi Capitals, and long term would be to play for India again. So it’s quite simple I would say. Nothing else really,” he said during a chat with Cricbuzz.
Karun Nair made his Indian Test debut in 2016 against England. His journey started with a low 4 and 13 runs. During the third match in Chennai, he slammed 303 not out. His knock was highly praised and dissected before his following scores of 26, 0, 23, and 5. He was soon faded out of the national team and a string of poor performances haunted him. After almost a decade, what changed for the middle-order batter?
“Not really technical. Probably more mental than technical, I would say. I knew at the back of my head that if you had to make an impact, you had to score consistently and make sure that it’s in a winning cause,” he expressed.
If Nair is to make it big, he knows he has to keep making centuries to hold everyone’s gaze. He followed his perfect recipe to success in recent times.
The Vidarbha batter had an outstanding domestic season, solidifying his reputation as a top-class batter across formats. In the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, he was the fourth-highest run-scorer, amassing 863 runs at an average of 53.93 including four hundreds. He capped his campaign with scores of 86 and 135 in the final against Kerala, guiding Vidarbha to their third title.
Earlier, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair was named Player of the Tournament after a record-breaking performance, scoring 779 runs at an incredible average of 389.5, including five centuries. He also led Vidarbha’s run tally in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with 255 runs at a strike rate of 177.08.
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After a series of inconsistent performances and limited opportunities, the right-hander vanished from the national spotlight, leaving fans questioning how a player with such promise faded so suddenly. The 33-year-old’s cricketing journey has been enigmatic – never managing to secure a spot in the national team again, yet unwilling to fade into obscurity.
Here’s what Nair mentioned speaking on his evolution since his last Test for India in 2017.
A lot different, I would say. A lot more experiences, good and bad. And just more mature, I would say, to understand the situation and to process it a lot better. So, game-wise to understand your game also is a blessing and I probably know my game much better than earlier. So, that’s about it.
The experience that Nair has gained in recent times is priceless. He has worked hard and his numbers are a testament to his progress. With the recent batting line-up flop Down Under, Nair makes a strong case for a national call-up in the unlimited overs format of the game. But here’s what Nair thinks.
“Quite honestly, I don’t know where I stand. It’s a very difficult answer for me to give. But I’m very fortunate and happy that I’m able to perform the way that I am. And really eager to be seeing the kind of responses that I’m getting from everyone. So, about selection, it’s a very hard thing for me to say because it’s not in any player’s hands. Players can only perform and do their job. So, after that it’s about getting selected or not selected. So, it’s really not in my hands and not something that I can say anything upon. So, all I can do is keep performing the way I am and let’s see where that goes,” Nair said.
India’s five-Test series against England will begin on June 20 in Leeds. While the top order looks in good touch during the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, the longer format is still a concern. In that case, Nair would be a perfect addition to the team. But the right-handed batter is not keeping his expectations high. He’s not getting ahead of himself. His hunger for the sport was felt when he responded,
“Basically, I have the IPL coming up. There’s no plans in my head. I’ve had a good season and I intend to keep continuing the way I’ve been doing. So keep performing and the only thing in my head is to score in whichever game or wherever I play.”
Over the years, India has produced great batting icons. However, a team can have only 11 players on the field. Nair has been ignored on occasions more than once. But this time, he’s making it impossible for the selectors to strike out his name.
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