Karun Nair's Rollercoaster Journey Back to Test Cricket
Karun Nair, once touted as India’s next batting star, has found himself thrust back into the spotlight after a surprise recall to the Test squad in 2025. What’s most striking is the gap—seven long years away from the highest level—followed by a comeback fueled by raw numbers and gritty performances in domestic cricket. In the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy, Nair piled up 863 runs at an impressive average just shy of 54, finishing among the leading run-scorers for Vidarbha. Critics and fans alike quickly noticed—this was a man playing hungry, with maybe a point to prove.
The IPL 2025 punched his ticket into mainstream conversation again. While many discounted domestic form in favor of flashy T20 performances, Nair’s match-winning 87* against Jasprit Bumrah’s Mumbai Indians got everyone talking. Unlike some hopefuls, he didn’t shy away from the discourse either—pointing out the need to appreciate both consistent runs in first-class cricket and standout moments in the IPL, especially while picking squads for grueling Test series.
The Selection Squeeze: Experience vs Form
Despite this, the Indian selectors pulled a surprise by omitting Nair from the Champions Trophy 2025 squad, sticking instead with known commodities like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Their rationale was pretty clear: Rahul brings added value as a backup wicketkeeper, while Iyer has quietly strung together reliable performances in the middle order. Former India legend Sunil Gavaskar weighed in as well, insisting that squad roles and balances matter just as much as red-hot form. It’s not always about sheer numbers—you need someone who can step in behind the stumps in a crunch, or absorb pressure in the middle order on tough pitches.
For Nair, it’s a brutal reminder of how fierce the competition is, especially when you’re fighting to break into a side stacked with battle-hardened pros and bright-futured youngsters. India’s selectors clearly value stability, but they also want that spark—someone who can grab a chance and run with it, especially on tricky international surfaces where domestic dominance doesn’t always translate.
Now, Nair’s story takes another turn as he returns to Karnataka for the 2025-26 domestic season, leaving behind a successful stretch with Vidarbha. Fans in Bengaluru are thrilled—he’s a local hero, and the hope is his new form will inspire a strong run for the team. But for the national squad, the question lingers: can Nair’s fresh domestic runs convert to meaningful Test knocks, especially with younger talents breathing down his neck?
The Karun Nair debate isn’t just about one batter’s fate—it’s about how India weighs old guard reliability against the irresistible pull of new form, how the balance between red-ball grind and IPL glory shapes new squads, and whether selectors will stick to their guns or gamble on redemption tales. With the new domestic season underway, all eyes are on Nair—and the real drama is just getting started.
