Follow UsKarun Nair’s impeccable form has been the talk of the town after the right-hander made a stunning comeback at the IPL level, smashing 89 (40) against Mumbai Indians on April 13 (Sunday). During his knock, Nair showed a great level of skillset, including taking on the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, in a nonchalant manner, scoring 26 off nine.
But what that knock reemphasised was Nair’s form, with everyone keeping a close tab on his domestic numbers with the red-ball trip to England around the corner. Since moving to Vidarbha in 2023, Nair has posted 1553 runs, averaging 47.06, with six centuries, coming up clutch in Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy win in 2025.
That has certainly caught the attention of Ambati Rayudu, who wants the Indian management to consider the red-hot batter for the squad to England. Not just that, Rayudu also applauded Nair’s persistence and hard work to force a comeback in the Indian colours.
“It's sheer persistence because what you go through when things don't go well for you in India is not easy to withstand,” Rayudu told Star Sports.
“A lot of people have gone through that, and very few have come out of that with flying colors and Karun Nair is one. Because once you get lost in the domestic system in India, it is very, very tough to make a comeback. Especially because mentally, you're always dragged down by so many things around you, and a lot of people will write you off,” he added.
There haven’t been too many batters better than Nair, and that has definitely kept him on the extended list of players that could potentially be picked for the England series. Nair’s last Test innings came all the way back in 2017 when he scored a 16-ball five against Australia in Dharamsala, the last of his five Tests.
“Cricket is a game that moves on fast, but still, cricket has moved on, but Karun Nair, has not moved on. He has never left learning, never left working hard, never left the belief that he could make a comeback, especially in Test cricket. I would sincerely hope and love that he goes to England. He's on that flight, uh, in the Test series,” Rayudu concluded.