Karun Nair Shines with Double Century in Unofficial Test Against England Lions
Karun Nair's Remarkable Performance
On the second day of the unofficial Test match between India A and England Lions in Canterbury, Karun Nair delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a double century. He reached the impressive milestone of 200 runs with a boundary during the 101st over of India A's innings.
This achievement marks the fourth occasion Nair has surpassed the 200-run mark in First-Class cricket. His highest score in this format remains an impressive 328, which he achieved while playing for Karnataka against Tamil Nadu during the 2015/16 season.
Nair is also notable for being the second Indian, following Virender Sehwag, to achieve a triple century in Test cricket. Prior to this innings, his best score for India A was an unbeaten 114 against South Africa A back in 2015.
Karun Nair Announces His Comeback in Style! 🇮🇳
— News Media (@thecricketgully) May 31, 2025
A commanding 203 off 272* for India A — a statement knock in red-ball cricket! 💯🔥 pic.twitter.com/u1DLbINxzt
A Promising Start to the England Tour
Nair has been selected for India's squad for the upcoming five-Test series against England, which kicks off on June 20. His double century serves as a strong opening statement for the tour. Having not played for India in eight years, this performance is likely to attract the attention of selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir. With key players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma absent, including Nair in the Test lineup could be a timely and strategic choice.
At the conclusion of Day 1, Nair was not out on 186 from 246 balls, with Dhruv Jurel supporting him at 82 off 104. Both players were on the verge of significant milestones, but Jurel fell short, getting out for 94 early on Day 2.
Despite this, Karun maintained his composure and successfully completed a remarkable double century upon his return to the Indian team. Although this match is unofficial, his innings strongly advocates for his inclusion in the national squad moving forward.
The 33-year-old right-handed batsman was eventually dismissed for 204 runs off 281 balls by Zaman Akhter, concluding a memorable innings. At the time of this report, India A stood at 494/7 after 110 overs.