BCCI Rewards Karun Nair Following Staggering Display In Domestic Cricket, Returns To Tests After 8 Years: A Look At His Stats In Long Format

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 18-member squad for Team India's upcoming tour of England, which will start on June 20th.

BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar held a press conference on Saturday, May 24th, in Mumbai and revealed the squad for the five-match Test series.

The upcoming tour of England will be crucial for Team India as it will be the first series after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket.

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With the five-match series between India and England, the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027 will kick off.

Soon after the squad was announced, one of the main talking points became Karun Nair's Test call-up after eight long years.

The 33-year-old was rewarded by the BCCI for his stupendous knock in the Ranji Trophy 2024-2025.

Karun Nair Earns Test Call-Up In Team India Squad After Eight Years

In the recently concluded Ranji Trophy, Karun had a dream run with Vidarbha, amassing 863 runs from 16 innings at a strike rate of 49.59, and has an average of 53.93. The top-order batter slammed four centuries and two fifties in the 2024-2025 season and helped Vidarbha to crown the champions of the Ranji Trophy. Karun's best score in the tournament came against Kerala, where he played a 135-run knock, helping Vidarbha to win the title.

Karun Nair was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy 2024-2025 season.

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Not just Ranji Trophy, but the 33-year-old also shone in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Karun Nair also shone in the 2024-2025 edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy with Vidarbha. The right-handed batter displayed a scintillating performance and was the highest run-scorer in the tournament. Karun Nair scored 779 runs in nine matches and eight innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-2025, at a strike rate of 124.04 and had an average of 389.50. He slammed five centuries and one fifty.

Meanwhile, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-2025. Karun Nair scored 255 runs at a strike rate of 177.08 at an average of 42.50.

Karun Nair has stunning numbers in first-class cricket. The top-order batter has played 183 innings in first-class cricket, scoring 8211 runs at a strike rate of 52.39.

Karun Nair made his debut in Test cricket in 2016 against England at Mohali. After appearing in six Test matches, the 33-year-old was snubbed from the long-format.

However, finally he has earned his spot in the Team India's 18-member squad following fiery knocks in the domestic cricket.

Karun Nair holds plenty of records in Test cricket for Team India. He is the second player after Virender Sehwag to hammer a triple century for India in Tests. The unbeaten 303-run knock came against England in Chennai.

The 33-year-old played six Test matches and seven innings, amassing 374 runs at a strike rate of 73.91, and has an average of 62.33.

Cricket Gives One More Chance To Karun Nair Ahead Of England Series

Previously in 2022, Karun Nair shared an emotional post on X, asking cricket to give him one more chance. Karun shared the post at a time when he was continuously being snubbed from Team India's Test squad.

"Dear cricket, give me one more chance," Nair wrote on X in 2022.

In the past eight years, Karun Nair showed grit and temperament. Finally, he stormed into the 18-member squad for the England series.

The series between the two cricket giants will kick off on June 20th at Headingley. The second game will take place on July 2nd at Edgbaston. The third match of the series will be held on July 10th at the Lord's. Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth matches of the series  will be played on July 23rd and July 31st, at Old Trafford, and the Oval, respectively.