Karun Nair is a name long forgotten by the Indian team, and the fans. The batter had shot to fame after he struck a masterful 300 vs England in Chennai, in December 2016. Since then, he has achieved a lot in domestic cricket, but hasn’t been able to impress the selectors. But then, playing for Vidarbha now, the Karnataka-born batter has been in some superlative form off late, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 637 runs in 7 matches, at a staggering average of 637.
Karun Nair Shines in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Yes, that is right. In VHT 2024-25, Karun Nair averages 637, and has smashed four tons, including one on Sunday, during the semi-final match vs Rajasthan. After being set a target of 292, Karun scored 122 from only 82 deliveries, smashing 13 fours and five sixes. He struck a partnership of 200 with Dhruv Shorey, who also went unbeaten with 118.
Now, with these performances, one wonders, if he should be accommodated in the Indian team, in the white-ball formats. Yes, why not? But then where is the space for him? There are already a few contenders in the middle-order, and at 33, Karun might not be on the selectors’ radar.
India Comeback for Karun?
But then, with a busy season coming up ahead — the IND vs ENG ODIs and then the Champions Trophy, it might worth be a shot, to at least include him in the squad. Having said that, the Indian selectors don’t seem to be considering players who are not big IPL products anyways, and Karun is not a part of the league anymore.
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It would require some off the beat thinking from the management for sure. Even in that case, Karun might have just created some sort of a confusion in the minds of the stakeholders. While one can be certain, that he is not making a comeback, these performances should certainly not be ignored.
