Why Karun Nair deserves a second shot at glory? Here are 5 reasons

Karun Nair, known for his Test triple century, is aiming for a Team India comeback after a period of inconsistent performance. His recent exceptional form in domestic cricket, coupled with a hunger to perform, makes a strong case for his return.

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Karun Nair on redemption mode

If making a comeback from setback is an art, Delhi Capitals batter Karun Nair’s name would be on the canvas of cricket’s greatest comebacks. Karun Nair has been on the redemption mode over the past one year, with an aim of making a comeback to Team India.

Nair was shot to fame when he became just the second Indian batter after Virender Sehwag to score a Test triple century, achieving a remarkable feat in the Chennai Test against England in Test. Thereafter, he failed to maintain consistent performance, resulting in getting dropped from the India squad. Since then, The Karnataka batter, who plays for Vidarbha in domestic cricket, has never been on selectors.

Over the last couple of years, especially from 2024, Karun Nair has managed to grab the attention of the selectors with his exceptional performance in domestic cricket. We have got you covered 5 reasons why Delhi Capitals batter deserves a second shot at glory.

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1. Impressive domestic season

Karun Nair was in a sensational form in the recently concluded domestic season, where he registered nine centuries across formats for Vidarbha. His best performance came in the Vijay Hazare Trophy where he aggregated 779 runs, including 5 centuries and a fifty, at an exceptional average of 389.50 in nine matches. In Ranji Trophy, the 33-year-old amassed 863 runs, including 4 centuries and 2 fifties, at an average of 53.93 in nine matches. Given his brilliant career turnaround in domestic cricket, Karun Nair should deserve a second chance of making a comeback into Team India.

Image Credit : Instagram/Karun Nair

2. Experience and maturity

Karun Nair has been playing top level for over a decade now and must have gained valuable experience in handling different match situations, adapting to varied conditions and playing under pressure. Since Nair already has international experience, having played for Team India in 6 Tests and 2 ODIs, he knows what it takes to perform at the highest level. Apart from toiling hard in domestic cricket, Karun Nair has gained valuable experience by plying his trade for Northamptonshire in the County Championship, giving him an edge to make a comeback into Team India for England Test tour. His experience of playing in England conditions might help quickly adjust to the seaming and swinging patches, making him a dependable middle-order batter.

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3. Hunger to perform better

Another reason why Karun Nair deserves another chance to make Team India comeback is his insatiable hunger to perform better. This was evident with his performance in the domestic season, where he has amassed 1897 runs, including nine centuries. Nair carried on his domestic form into ongoing IPL 2025, where he scored 89 off 40 balls in his first outing in the tournament since 2022 for Delhi Capitals. This showcases his unwavering determination and hunger to seize every opportunity that comes in his way at the biggest way. If he give a chance to make it to Team India, Karun Nair is likely to prove his worth again and repay the faith of the selectors by delivering his best.

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4. Physical fitness and skill

Karun Nair has worked hard on his fitness in order to continue to compete at the highest level. This can be evidenced with his performance in domestic cricket, where he was seen sprinting between wickets, converting his starts into big scores, and sustaining marathon innings without a drop in intensity. Nair was considered a red-ball cricketer, but the perception seemed to have changed among the cricket experiences after his incredible performance in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. His redemption in white-ball cricket has manifested his adaptability and temperament under pressure, translating his red-ball technique into quick and impactful innings.

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5. Aggression matches modern-day cricket

The modern-day cricket demands players to seize the opportunity with aggressive intent, taking down the bowlers from word go and maintaining a higher strike rate in order to put bowlers on the backfoot from the outset. Karun Nair seemed to have adapted to what modern-day cricket demands, which include the ability to innovate all round the wicket, sustain higher strike rate from the first ball and clear the ropes at will. Over the last couple of years, Karun Nair adapted to attacking style of batting, which was evident in his performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy and Maharaja T20 Trophy, where he was the highest run-getter with 560 runs, including a century and 5 fifties, at an average of 56 in 12 matches.