Karun Nair Faces Emotional Setback in Test Comeback
Karun Nair's Challenging Return to International Cricket
Karun Nair's journey back to international cricket has not gone as he had hoped. The right-handed batsman made a remarkable return after nearly ten years away from the Test arena.
His last appearance for the Indian Test team was in early 2017, after which he was dropped. After eight years of hard work in domestic cricket, he was finally recalled for the current tour of England, following an impressive performance in the Ranji Trophy. He made an immediate impact by scoring a double century for India A against the England Lions.
Consequently, he was selected for the first Test against England. Unfortunately, Nair was dismissed for a duck in his first innings and managed only 20 runs in the second innings, contributing to India's loss in the series opener. Despite being retained for the second and third Tests, he struggled to make a significant impact.
In total, he scored just 131 runs across six innings at an average of 21.83, without reaching fifty. With the series at stake, the Indian management decided to drop him from the playing eleven for the ongoing fourth Test.
Emotional Moments for Karun Nair
Many observers believe that Karun Nair may have squandered his last opportunity to secure a permanent place in the Indian Test squad. Acknowledging his age, it seems that his prospects may be diminishing following this latest setback. Nair appears to be aware of the gravity of the situation.
A poignant image of him visibly emotional has circulated on social media, leading many to speculate that he might be contemplating retirement from international cricket. In the photo, KL Rahul is seen comforting Nair as he struggles to hold back tears.
Karun Nair Caught Crying then KL Rahul Consoled.. probably he is talking about Retirement
#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/tyJAZ7c9ij
— CricketQuickBuzz (@CricketQuickBuz) July 24, 2025
Is Karun Nair crying? pic.twitter.com/WDFTR6UPCL
— abhay singh (@abhaysingh_13) July 24, 2025
I feel very bad to see Karun Nair crying like this. I wish the team management would give him another chance to prove himself.
pic.twitter.com/NF5jfMotSZ
— KLR (@KLRNation1) July 24, 2025
End of Karun Nair’s test career. Don’t know if it’s harsh. But he certainly can’t complain much having got 6 chances on great batting pitches and not being able to make it count even once. At 32-33, there’s no likelihood for more chances now.
— Aditya Joshipura (@absurd_random) July 23, 2025
Feels like this was Karun Nair’s last Test series. Dropped for the 4th Test, and it’s clear — performing under that kind of pressure isn’t easy when the whole nation is watching. Now even “better luck next time” feels hard to say. #KarunNair #INDvsENG
— . (@CricCrazyDeepak) July 23, 2025
Feels like this could be the last Test appearance for Karun Nair for India. Feel for him .
– Karun Nair on his return to Test Cricket so far:
0, 20, 31, 26, 40, 14. pic.twitter.com/3rclTLcNm8
— Nadeem (@cricupdatesonX) July 24, 2025