Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has expressed sturdy help for his former Karnataka teammate Karun Nair, who has made a comeback to the Indian Check cricket squad after an eight-year hole. Nair, who beforehand scored a triple century towards England in 2016, earned his recall following spectacular performances in home cricket and county cricket in England. Karun Nair’s return to the nationwide group comes after a profitable stint with Northampton within the 2024 County Championship Division Two, the place he scored 487 runs in 11 innings. His current kind features a double century (204) for India A towards England Lions in an unofficial Check match. The 33-year-old Nair demonstrated distinctive kind in home cricket final season, accumulating 9 centuries throughout completely different codecs. His Ranji Trophy marketing campaign yielded 863 runs in 9 matches at a median of 53.93, together with 4 centuries and two half-centuries.
Within the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair maintained his spectacular run-scoring means, amassing 779 runs in eight innings at a median of 389.50, together with 5 centuries. His first-class cricket file reveals 8470 runs in 186 innings at a median of 49.82, with 24 centuries and 36 half-centuries. “I’ve identified him for a really very long time and the months that he spent right here within the UK enjoying cricket and the way exhausting and the way lonely it was and for him to have the ability to do all of that and are available again into the Indian group,” KL Rahul stated in a video posted by BCCI. “I believe it is particular for him, for his household, and for mates like us who’ve seen his journey. So, like I stated very inspiring as nicely and hopefully his expertise and his learnings from enjoying county cricket right here will maintain him in good stead when he performs the Check matches right here,” Rahul added. Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? Nair’s earlier stint with the Indian Check group lasted from November 2016 to March 2017, throughout which he scored 374 runs in seven innings. His profession spotlight got here when he turned solely the second Indian batsman after Virender Sehwag to attain a triple century in Check cricket, attaining the feat with an unbeaten 303 towards England in Chennai in December 2016. “Feels actually particular. Very grateful and really lucky to have the ability to get this chance once more and actually wanting ahead and excited to seize this chance with each arms,” Nair stated in response to his choice. “Unsure really! I believe I am going to must expertise that feeling myself and, you realize, simply go on the market and really feel it for myself. And I am certain there will be a whole lot of emotions, ones that I am unable to categorical proper now and It’s going to be a particular feeling,” Nair added when requested about his feelings concerning the comeback. The duo of Rahul and Nair share an extended historical past, having performed age-group cricket collectively and lately representing Delhi Capitals within the 2025 IPL season. Nair’s choice for the upcoming five-match Check collection towards England comes with the benefit of his current expertise in English circumstances via county cricket.
