Things have not really panned out in a manner Karun Nair would have expected after making his much-anticipated return to international cricket.
The right-handed batsman is a part of the India squad for the ongoing five-match Test series against England.
A fairytale return to international cricket:
Karun Nair earned a recall from the Test team after a string of stunning batting displays in international cricket. He had not played a Test for India since 2017 before earning the recall in May this year. It took him eight long years to earn a recall from the Test team.
The former Karnataka batsman enjoyed a sensational campaign in the 2024-25 domestic season. Playing for Vidarbha, he scored heavily in the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Karun Nair scored 863 runs at an average of 53.93 and helped Vidarbha win the Ranji Trophy. In the 50-over format, he scored five centuries in eight innings at an average of 389.50.
Karun Nair yet to justify Test recall:
Karun Nair has played in each of the first three Tests against England but has failed to impress with the bat. He was out for a duck in his first Test innings since 2017 before scoring 20 runs in the second innings as India lost the first Test in Leeds.
While India won the second Test at Edgbaston, Karun Nair had a disappointing outing once again. He got the starts in both the innings but could not convert them and was out for 31 and 26. The Vidarbha star has failed to score big in the ongoing third Test as well. He scored 40 runs in the first innings before being dismissed for 14 runs in the second innings.
Karun Nair to be replaced?
With Karun Nair failing to impress with the bat so, the critics have already started sharpening their knives. After failing to score big in three Tests in a row, Nair is expected to be dropped from the playing eleven for the fourth Test in Manchester.
With Nair’s position in the playing eleven doubtful, Abhimanyu Easwaran is reportedly the front-runner to replace him in the team. Easwaran is a part of the Test squad but is yet to make his debut. Easwaran has a fantastic record in first-class cricket. He has played 103 games so far and has scored 7841 runs including 27 centuries and 31 half-centuries.