Triple-century wonder finally returns to India fold after eight-year-long wait, rewarded with a spot in India A squad for England tour

After an extended hiatus of eight years, Karun Nair is set to don the India colours once again, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) including him in the 18-member India A squad for their upcoming tour of England.

Karun Nair's 8-year-long wait ends with India A call up

Karun Nair's inclusion in the India A squad is a direct result of his exceptional form in the recent domestic cricket season. The right-handed batsman proved his batting prowess in both the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, amassing a total of over 1,600 runs across these both tournaments.

A strong performance during this England tour could potentially pave the way for Nair's inclusion in the Indian senior team, particularly as the side undergoes a transitional phase following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Nair's impressive form throughout the 2024 Indian domestic season played a crucial role in bringing him back into contention for a place in the national team. There were even discussions about his potential inclusion in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 after his remarkable Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, where he amassed 779 runs in just seven innings riding on five centuries, the most hundreds scored by any player in a single season of the tournament.

Despite his prolific domestic record, Nair has not represented the senior Indian side in the past eight years, with his last appearance dating back to March 2017 against Australia. He holds the record of being one of only two Indian batters to have scored a triple century in Test matches, the other being Virender Sehwag. Interestingly, Nair's triple century came against England, where he cracked an unbeaten 303 in the third Test match in December 2016.

The India A team is scheduled to start their tour of England on May 30, with players currently participating in the IPL being unavailable for the matches against the England Lions. This three-match series will conclude on June 16, just four days before the Indian senior team is set to face England in Headingley.

India A squad for England tour:

Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey

Note - Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will join the squad ahead of the second match