Vidarbha batsman Karun Nair is having a fantastic run with the bat in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. Nair recently scored his fourth consecutive hundred in the tournament to take Vidarbha to the semi-finals.
However, there is another good news for Nair. The 33-year-old is believed to be on the selectors’ radar for the Champions Trophy and could also return to the Test format for the England tour at a later date.
Nair’s good form comes on the back of a slump in the batting form of two of India’s top batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It is believed that Nair’s good form can be used in India’s transition phase.
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The selectors are keeping an eye on Karun Nair
According to the report, Karun Nair is under the selectors’ watchful eye as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are going through a bad phase. Selectors want an experienced player in transition, and Nair has that in abundance.
“As India enter a transition phase, with seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling in Tests, Karun (Nair) is the player the selectors are looking at with great interest,” said a report cited 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 promises him to be a part of the tournament. He could also be in line for India’s tour of England in June.
Karun Nair’s Vijay Hazare Trophy numbers
Karun Nair’s scores in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy are 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112* and 122*. The Vidarbha captain has already scored five hundreds and is yet to be dismissed in the last six innings.
The right-hander has scored 664 runs in seven matches at an incredible average of 664 and a strike rate of 120.07. It is currently the highest number of runs scored by a batsman in List A cricket without being dismissed. He has now scored four consecutive hundreds in List A cricket and is the third player to achieve the feat.
In the first phase of the Ranji Trophy, Karun Nair scored 289 runs in four matches at an average of 48.16 with one hundred and fifty. If he has a good season with the bat in the second phase, he may make it to the Indian Test squad for the England tour.
Karun Nair’s historic triple century
Karun Nair scored a magnificent triple hundred against England in 2016 and it looked like he was going to be around for a long time. However, he was dropped from the team after some poor knocks as India preferred Hanuma Vihari to him.
Nair was even left by his state team Karnataka, who decided to move away from him and invest in younger talent. He moved to Vidarbha in the 2023-24 season to revive his career. He even posted a post on December 22, saying, “Dear cricket, give me another chance,” when his career was on the wane.
India’s squad for the Champions Trophy is due to be announced in a few days. Since most players don’t play much 50-over cricket, Nair makes a case with a lot of cricket in that format behind him.
