Gautam Gambhir hints at Karun Nair’s return to Playing XI vs England

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has hinted that Karun Nair might return to the Indian Test team’s playing XI against England in the upcoming India tour of England, scheduled to start on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

Notably, Karun Nair had an exceptional domestic season for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Interestingly, he was named in the 18-man squad for the five-match Test series, courtesy of his exceptional domestic performances.

While addressing the pre-departure press conference, Gambhir stated that Karun Nair’s selection into the Indian team is great news for the future of domestic cricket. He added that this will emphasize to youngsters in understanding the importance of domestic cricket.

"It's great for domestic cricket. It's great for the future of domestic cricket. All the youngsters who are playing domestic will understand its importance: 'if you keep doing well in domestic cricket, doors are never shut'," Gambhir said at the press conference before leaving for England.

Nair, who is already in England, playing against England Lions, smacked an exceptional double century in the first unofficial Test for India A. He will next take on the same side in the second unofficial Test, starting on Friday, June 6.

"It's good to have the experience of Karun, who has played a bit of County cricket. He has scored runs there and hit a double hundred for India A. It's always good to have players who are in good form on these kinds of tours. His experience will definitely come in handy, and hopefully he can deliver,” he added.

"More importantly, we will not judge someone by one or two Tests. You guys can. We won’t. I think if someone has scored heaps of runs, he will be given a good run at this level as well so that he can showcase his talent here," Gambhir stated.

Furthermore, Nair has a decent County experience in English conditions. He represented Northamptonshire in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, amassing 736 runs at an impressive average of 52.57, including a double century.

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