Karun Nair's cricketing journey is nothing short of inspirational. Once hailed as a major talent after his unbeaten 303, the 33-year-old's international career stalled, and in a nation teeming with cricketing aspirants, he was widely considered to be past his prime.
Despite fading from the national spotlight, Nair never stopped making the hard yards, consistently delivering performances after performance in domestic cricket. He continued to grind away from the glare of international cricket before reminding everyone of his capabilities during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Playing for Delhi Capitals, he made an immediate impact, announcing his return to form with a six off the very first ball he faced. His hard work and recent success have culminated in a recall to the Indian national squad for the upcoming tour of England, which begins on June 20. Proving his selection was well-earned, Nair immediately struck a magnificent 204 for India A in an unofficial Test against the England Lions, signaling to the cricketing world that his hunger to compete at the highest level is as strong as ever.
In a video shared by the BCCI, KL Rahul shared his thoughts on Karun Nair's inspirational return to Team India set up. Rahul emphasised the challenging path Nair has navigated to earn this opportunity. Should Nair be selected to play in the first Test match held at Headingley, this would mark his seventh time representing India in red-ball cricket.
"I have known him for a very long time, and the months that he spent here in the UK playing cricket. I can understand how hard and how lonely it was for him to be able to do all of that and come back into the team. It's special for him and his family and for friends like us who have seen his journey. Very inspiring and hopefully his experience and his learnings from playing county cricket here will hold him in good stead when he plays the Test matches here," Rahul said.
Even India's head coach Gautam Gambhir gave a special mention to Nair during the huddle talk in London.
"Guys, comebacks are never easy. Someone who has made a comeback after seven years, had a phenomenal last year, the amount of runs he got and most importantly the never say die attitude is something that has got you back into the team. That is something which is inspiring for this entire group. Welcome Karun!," Gambhir said.
Nair recently proved his batting might in the warm-up unofficial Tests against England Lions where he amassed 259 runs in three innings including a robust double century. Nair last featured in a Test match in 2017, a few months after making history as only the second Indian batsman to achieve a triple century in the format. Since then, his career has encountered obstacles, including a period where he was dropped by his domestic team, Karnataka. However, the right-handed middle-order batsman reignited his career by joining Vidarbha as a professional player before the 2023-24 season. His efforts culminated in him finishing the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season as the fourth-highest run-scorer, amassing 863 runs across 16 innings, which included four centuries.