Cricket Gave Karun Nair A 2nd Chance But He Didn't Capitalise: Former India All-Rounder

Karun Nair returned to the Test fold after a gap of eight years during the series against England, but he could not replicate his domestic success at the highest level. He notched up 853 runs at 53.93 in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he smashed 779 runs at 389.50 and earned his way back into the Indian side.

However, when the opportunity presented itself, the batter managed just 205 runs at 25.62 in eight innings against England. He did get off to good starts, but he failed them to convert them into anything substantial.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes cricket gave Karun a second chance, as he always wanted, but he did not capitalise.

“Karun Nair gets four out of ten. Why? He didn’t look particularly poor throughout the series. He kept getting starts consistently but managed only one half-century. He got plenty of opportunities. Cricket definitely gave him a second chance, but he couldn’t capitalise on it the way he should have. Especially in the Lord’s Test, he had a real chance to win the match for India but couldn’t do it," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Pathan also observed that the short balls more often than not had Karun a bit shaken.

“Other than that, it often seemed like he was playing well, building up nicely, and then suddenly, he’d play a loose shot and get out. At the Oval, when the bouncer was used against him, he looked a bit shaken and seemed more unsettled and uncomfortable. So, he gets four points,” he added.

Karun scored a crucial fifty in the final Test at The Oval, which India won by six runs to level the series 2-2. India's next Test series is against the West Indies in October at home. Whether or not India persist with Karun is to be seen.