Follow UsRishabh Pant, on June 18 (Wednesday), already confirmed that India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, will bat at No.4 while he himself will bat at No.5, leaving the No.3 spot open and up for grabs.
As it stands, it is a two-man race between Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan and Vidarbha’s Karun Nair, who is coming off an excellent Ranji Trophy campaign. While there’s merit in Sudharsan’s selection, here are three reasons why Nair might be the better pick.
Plenty of experience for an Indian batting in transition
Let’s not beat around the bush; India’s batting unit lacks experience, following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. So, having another debutant at No.3, in the form of Sudharsan, might make the batting look brittle.
Hence, someone of Nair’s temperament will be much required, and that’s where his numbers prove a point. 1131 runs at No.3, with an average of 62.83 and a BPD of 109.1 in all games at No.3 in his ENTIRE CAREER certainly shows that he can thrive in that position.
Nair’s excellent time in County Cricket
Nair is no stranger to English conditions, having played ten games for Northamptonshire, a stint where he amassed 736 runs with four half-centuries and two centuries. The fact that he averages 56.62 shows how consistent he’s been on English soil.
The right-hander scored a double century during his county stint, against the likes of Mir Hamza, Brad Wheal and Mason Crane, showing his class.
Nair's form can’t be ignored
As simple as it gets, Nair’s current form can’t be ignored. The right-hander is on a red-hot streak, including a double century against England Lions as recently as June, where he smashed 27 boundaries, scoring 204 runs in his 281-ball stay.
If you look at his last six first-class games, he has five centuries, and most of them are big scores: 204 vs Lions, 135 vs Kerala, 122 vs Tamil Nadu, 105 vs Hyderabad. Since the start of 2024, no batter has outscored Nair in red-ball cricket, with 2299 runs, averaging close to 50.
How can you ignore those numbers?