New Delhi: From an overnight star to a forgotten star to a comeback star – Karun Nair’s journey in international cricket is nothing short of extraordinary.
Nair announced himself on the big stage with a triple century in his debut Test series almost a decade ago. The Karnataka batter, who shifted base to Vidarbha two years ago, was living in a dreamland after becoming only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to score a triple century in a Test innings. But little did Nair know about the ruthless nature of international cricket, especially in India, where batting talent is found in abundance.
Nair featured in just three Tests after the 303-run knock in Chennai, getting out of reckoning after scores of 26, 0, 23 and 5 against Australia at home in March 2017.
Despite the low returns against the Aussies, Nair travelled to England in the summer of 2018 as one of the middle-order contenders. Though he was ruthlessly axed in favour of mid-series replacement Hanuma Vihari, who scored a fluent 56 and cemented his place for the immediate future. That was the last of Karun in national colours.
Seven years later, life has come full circle for the 33-year-old batter.
A special comeback from a special player
After years of grinding in domestic cricket and making a mark in IPL 2025, Nair was selected for the five-Test tour of England, a place where he last wore the Indian jersey.
Upon arriving in England, where he has spent time in the last two years with County Championship stints with Northamptonshire, Nair made an instant impact with a superb 204-run knock in the first unofficial Test for India A vs England Lions.
The middle-order batter heads into the five-Test series against England, which begins on June 20, in good form and looks ready to fulfil his destiny.
Ahead of the series, KL Rahul, his former Karnataka teammates, shared a heartfelt message on social media where he talked about the extraordinary journey of air.
A comeback story with Karun Nair 🔝
P.S. – A special message from KL Rahul 👌#TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @karun126 | @klrahul pic.twitter.com/PeYCsNtnxv
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 12, 2025
Nair, if selected in the playing XI for the opener scheduled to take place at Headingley, Leeds, will make his 7th Test appearance. In seven Test innings, he has aggregated 374 runs, of which 303 runs came in the famous Chennai Test in 2016.
Karun Nair’s comeback story is nothing short of remarkable. The Vidarbha batter, after being frozen out of the team despite making a triple century in debut Test series, is back in the national colours to make his mark. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
