Karun Nair, Vidarbha captain, is having a fantastic run with the bat in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. Nair recently slammed his fourth successive hundred in the tournament to take Vidarbha to the semi-finals.
However, there is more good news for Nair. The 33-year-old is thought to be on the selectors’ radar for the Champions Trophy, and he could return to Test cricket for the upcoming England visit.
Nair’s outstanding success comes while India’s two senior hitters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, struggle with their batting. It is considered that Nair’s good form might be used during India’s changing period.
Karun Nair’s scores in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy are 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112*, and 122*. The Vidarbha captain has already hit five hundreds and has not been dismissed in his past six innings.
The right-hander has scored 664 runs in seven matches, with an incredible average of 664 and a strike rate of 120.07. It is presently the most runs scored by a batsman in List A cricket without being removed. He is only the third player to score four straight hundreds in List A cricket.
Karun Nair on BCCI’s radar for India’s England Test tour
According to reports, the selectors are keeping a close eye on Karun Nair because Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are struggling. The selectors want an experienced player during the transitioning period, and Nair has plenty of that.
“As India enter a transitional phase, with seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling in Tests, Karun (Nair) happens to be a player that the selectors are watching with keen interest,” the report was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
While he is on the selectors’ radar, it remains to be seen whether he will be selected for the Champions Trophy 2025. Nair’s form in the 50-over format bodes well for his participation in the competition. He could possibly be in line for India’s June trip of England.
Karun Nair got a fantastic triple hundred against England in 2016, and it appeared that he would be around for a long time. However, he was pulled from the team after a few lackluster performances, as India favored Hanuma Vihari over him.
Nair was even dropped by his state team, Karnataka, who chose to move on from him and invest in younger talent. He relocated to Vidarbha for the 2023-24 season in order to restart his career.
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