Karun Nair Returns to Indian Test Team for England Series

Karun Nair's Journey Back to the Indian Team

Karun Nair describes his return to the Indian cricket team as a moment where 'life has come full circle.' He expressed his readiness for the challenging five-match Test series against England, set to commence this Friday at Headingley.

In 2018, Nair traveled to England but did not make it into the final playing XI during the tour. Following that series, he was dropped from the Test squad and dedicated himself to domestic cricket to earn his way back.

After an impressive performance in the recent Ranji Trophy season, Nair has rejoined the team seven years later for a tour in England, the same location where he last played. The retirements of prominent players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have created opportunities for his comeback as India aims for its first Test victory at Headingley since 2002, now under the leadership of Shubman Gill.

The Hard Work Pays Off

Reflecting on his journey, the 33-year-old batsman stated, 'Life has come to a full circle. I went out of the team in England, and now I am coming back to the team in England, so it has been a while, and I am trying to embrace that,' in a video shared by the BCCI.

Throughout this period, Nair maintained his belief and hunger for the game, ultimately earning his spot back on the team. As he prepares for this new opportunity, he feels privileged to don the Indian jersey once more.

'My first thought when I woke up was I want to play Test cricket, I want to play for India again. That's probably what kept me going and kept me hungry, the driving force to go to training every day. Never losing that belief and having that target to reach was something that helped me. Feeling honoured to wear this jersey and represent my country,' he remarked.

Embracing Dreams Over Perfection

'When I saw everyone for the first time, that's where I really felt it, that I am finally in the team. Till then, it was like a wait for me to kind of start feeling that I had made it again. Don't chase perfection; try and dream big. Have that belief in yourself that anything can happen at any point of time. Hi, this is Karun Nair, and I am ready to go,' he added.

India's squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.