Karun Nair Shines with Double Century Against England Lions
Karun Nair's Remarkable Performance
On Saturday, May 31, Indian cricketer Karun Nair made headlines by scoring a double century against the England Lions, showcasing his readiness for the upcoming Test series against England. His impressive performance helped his team surpass the 400-run mark in Canterbury, demonstrating his comfort in the playing conditions. Despite some doubts regarding his selection for the first Test in Leeds on June 20, Nair's remarkable innings certainly caught the attention of the selectors.
🚨 DOUBLE HUNDRED FOR KARUN NAIR 🚨
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 31, 2025
– Batting at 3 for India A in his return to the team, he has made statement, What a knock, unbelievable innings from Karun against England Lions 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/09WOd2IcK5
Nair stepped onto the field early on Day 1 after Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed for just 8 runs by Josh Hull. He formed a partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, contributing 39 runs for the second wicket before Jaiswal was out in the 17th over. Nair then teamed up with Sarfaraz Khan, and together they built a formidable partnership of 181 runs for the third wicket until Sarfaraz was dismissed by Hull in the 56th over, effectively stalling England's momentum.
Nair continued his stellar performance, adding 195 runs with Dhruv Jurel for the fourth wicket until Ajeet Dale took Jurel's wicket in the 95th over. Following this, Nair and Shardul Thakur added a quick 34 runs for the sixth wicket before Zaman Akhter caught Nair off guard, leading to his dismissal by James Rew. This innings marked Nair's fourth score of over 200 in first-class cricket, with his highest being 328 runs against Tamil Nadu in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy.
Notably, Nair has previously scored over 200 runs without being dismissed. This marks his second double century in England, having scored an unbeaten 202 against Glamorgan last year while playing for Northamptonshire. Following in the footsteps of Virender Sehwag, Nair is only the second Indian cricketer to achieve a triple century in Test cricket.