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IND vs ENG: After staying away for seven years from India's Test side, star batter Karun Nair has finally made a comeback to the national team. Karun Nair has been included in India's 18-member team for the five-match Test series against England, which will be held next month and this call-up showcases personal redemption and a huge change in India's red ball plans.

Nair making a comeback to the Test team was directly related to his resurgence in domestic tournaments. After playing for a few years for Karnataka, where he got limited chances, he made the bold decision of shifting to Vidharbha before the 2023-24 domestic season. This decision worked wonders for him. During his first season, he scored 690 runs after playing in 10 matches for Vidharbha. He then had a dream run during the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, where he scored 863 runs after playing in nine matches, and that too at a brilliant average of 54. He scored a hundred during the Ranji Trophy summit clash against Kerala and helped Vidharbha win their third Ranji Trophy title.

His sublime form wasn't just limited to the domestic tournaments. Nair had a dream run during the 2024 County Championship, where he scored 487 runs after playing in seven matches at a staggering average of 48.70, which also includes an unbeaten knock of 202 runs. He grabbed the attention of the selectors by not just scoring runs consistently but also through his social media post, which went viral: “Cricket, please give me another chance.” The selectors might have noticed this as well.

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He is just the second Indian to have scored a triple ton in the longest format and his comeback will only strengthen India's middle-order batting lineup.

After staying away for seven years, he is making a comeback to the national side with a renewed form.

Let's take a look at the timeline of his comeback to the Test squad:

Karun Nair's Test comeback: A timeline

2017

1. He last played for India in the longest format against Australia in Dharamshala.

2. His Test campaign ended by scoring 377 runs after playing in six matches at a brilliant average of 67.

3. One of his memorable innings was an unbeaten knock of 303 runs against England way back in 2016.

2018–2022

1. He continued playing domestic matches for Karnataka but failed to score runs consistently.

2. He couldn't make it to the Indian Test squad even though he performed decently during the Ranji Trophy.

3. He shared a heartwarming post on social media, which went viral, "Cricket, please give me another chance,", which grabbed the attention of both the fans and the selectors.

2023

1. He made a bold decision to shift from Karnataka to Vidharbha for the domestic tournaments.

2. He scored 690 runs after playing in 10 matches, which marked his comeback.

2024

1. He then played in the English County championship, where he scored 487 runs after playing in seven matches at a staggering average of 48.70, which also includes a double ton.

2024-25 Domestic Season

1. He spearheaded Vidhabha's batting lineup.

2. Had scored 863 runs after playing in nine matches at a brilliant average of 54.

3. He played a huge role in helping Vidharbha lift their third Ranji Trophy title.

4. He scored a match-winning hundred against Kerala during the Ranji Trophy summit clash.

Early 2025

1. He made a comeback to the IPL after three years while playing for Delhi Capitals and scored 83 runs against MI.

2. He was picked in India's A team against England Lions, which showed his prowess in domestic tournaments.

3. He pipped players like Sarfaraz Khan, who still haven't made their Test debut in overseas conditions.

May 2025

1. He was officially selected in India's Test team for the series against England and thus made a brilliant comeback.

2. He would be making a comeback in this format against the same opponent against whom he had scored his brilliant triple ton.

India squad for England Test series

India's squad for England tour: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk) (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

He became the 287th Indian to have received a Test call-up, which was given to him by Sunil Gavaskar, to him fighting against exclusion for years, Karun Nair's comeback is proof of grit and determination. As India's Test team undergoes a new era in the longest format, Nair's experience can play a huge role in helping a young team in England.