Watch: Karun Nair set to make Test comeback after eight years, says 'I am back' ahead of England series
Karun Nair is poised for an Indian team comeback after eight years, fueled by unwavering determination to play Test cricket again. Despite years away from the spotlight since his last Test in 2017, his ambition never faded. Nair aims to rewrite his unfinished chapter, crediting mental growth and enjoying familiar faces like KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna for support.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Krun Nair is set to make a comeback into the Indian team after eight long years. For the Karnataka batter, waking up every morning in this morning was about purpose.'My first thought every day was, 'I want to play Test cricket for India again.' That belief kept me going,' Nair said in a heartfelt video shared by the BCCI ahead of the first Test against England.The middle order batter, who last played a Test match in 2017 against Australia, has spent years away from the spotlight. However, his ambition and hunger kept him going. 'There were times when I was just watching everyone on TV, wondering when I'd get my chance again. So when I walked into the dressing room and saw everyone for the first time, that's when it hit me — I'm back.'Nair, who scored a triple century against England in 2016 in a home series, was also a part of the Indian squad to England in 2018 but did not get a single match.About seven years later, he's back and once again, India are touring England. The setting may have changed, but the hunger remains the same. For Nair, it's more than a comeback; it's a chance to finally rewrite a chapter that remained unfinished.He credits his mental growth for his resurgence. 'I've become more patient and forgiving of myself. I've learned to enjoy the small things and stay true to who I am.'Playing alongside state teammates KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna adds a layer of comfort. 'We've grown up playing together. It's nice to have familiar faces on this journey.'Nair signed off with determination. 'Hi, this is Karun Nair and I'm ready to go."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Lord of the Pings on social media for sharply dividing selection call, Shardul Thakur, had this to say about playing in England
He's the most holy debated selection on the Indian team, but Shardul Thakur got the nod ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy for the first Test at Headingley. It might be the runs he scored in the intra-squad matches, or his prior experience in England, but Coach Gautam Gambhir chose the Mumbai seaming all-rounder ahead of a top spinner and a fellow utility batter all rounder in Reddy. For the man himself, playing in England remains special. Speaking to BCCI TV before the Test, Thakur had said that the team was keen to show England that India were there to 'put up a show.' A grand show. 'Now England team is also playing different type of cricket. So we would like to surprise them also and prove we are here to put up a show,' Thakur told the board channel. He labelled playing in England his fondest memory. 'I think 2021 series where we won couple of games (was memorable). The first one also we could have won but unfortunately it rained on last day and we couldn't chase down the total. But then we won at Lord's and at the Oval,' he recalled. 'Then we came back for the fifth Test next year and series was level. But that was one of the fondest memories for me. It's one of the best series I've been part of,' he said. Former bowling coach Bharat Arun had seen merit in picking him before the toss up with Reddy, and mostly based on his bowling. 'I think if I'm not mistaken he's got about two or three fifties on the trot and he came up with very important breakthroughs whenever given the ball. He can move the ball and bowled in early 130s,' Arun told IANS via Sony. He had reckoned the decision would be made based on how they were bowling at that particular moment. While social media considered him washed up after having had his moment in Australia, Arun had told IANS, 'Shardul has done very well for us in England on the last tour. He was very handy with the bat.' Speaking to BCCI TV, he said, 'It's very exciting to play in this part of the world where you face different challenges. First one is of course weather. Sometimes cloudy, sometimes bright sunny. As a player you need to make adjustments to your game, whether batting or bowling.' Speaking on the rest of the team, he had said, 'It's good to have that fresh energy in team. Few youngsters coming up. New talent is always exciting.' For someone who's got results in England and Australia, including that 50 at Oval, Thakur, now 33, brings some experience to a young line-up, though his selection chopped it's fair share of brickbats. 'It's always great to win an away series, away from home. If we can achieve this feat, it would be massive for the entire nation,' he told BCCI TV.
India Today
18 minutes ago
- India Today
ENG vs IND: Sai Sudharsan first Indian batter in 14 years to bag duck in maiden Test knock
B Sai Sudharsan will have to wait a little longer for his first runs in Test young batter was dismissed for a duck in his maiden innings for India after edging a delivery down the leg side in the final over of the opening session of the first Test against England at Headingley, was tasked with the responsibility of negotiating a tricky passage of play-the final six minutes of the morning session-after India lost their first wicket. He walked in at No. 3 following KL Rahul's dismissal, which ended a solid opening partnership of 91 runs with Yashasvi Sudharsan appeared nervous at the crease, clearly eager to get off the mark. In his short stay, he was involved in a couple of hesitant calls with Jaiswal, attempting to steal quick singles by playing the ball late-signs of a debutant eager to make an on the fourth delivery of the final over before lunch, Ben Stokes bowled an inswinger that was never threatening the stumps. The ball started from leg stump and swung well outside the pads. Keen to get bat on ball, Sudharsan tried to flick it fine in search of a boundary. Instead, he got a faint edge, which was neatly taken by wicketkeeper Jamie looked dejected as he trudged back to the pavilion without troubling the young Tamil Nadu batter, who won the Orange Cap in IPL 2025 for the Gujarat Titans, thus joined an unwanted list of Indian players dismissed for a duck in their first innings in Test cricket. He is the first Indian since Umesh Yadav in 2011 to suffer that NEED TO CRTICISE HIM: PUJARAadvertisementSenior batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who presented Sudharsan with his Test cap during the team huddle on Friday morning, urged fans and pundits not to be overly critical of the debutant."It was a bit unfortunate-getting caught down the leg side," Pujara told Sony Sports."When you're playing your first game, you're eager to get off the mark, and that's probably why he went for that ball, even though it was quite wide of leg stump. Normally, he wouldn't go for that. But he was tense-it's natural on debut. Let's give him some time."He's a confident cricketer. There's no need to criticise him harshly. These things happen, and I'm sure he'll come back stronger in the second innings. On debut, getting out down the leg side is just one of those things-there's not much a batter can do in that situation."India went to lunch at 92 for 2, having handed England a chance to claw their way back into the contest. Jaiswal and Rahul had dominated the first 90 minutes, making Stokes momentarily question whether choosing to bowl first was the right bowlers struggled to hit the right lengths and lines, but the dismissal of KL Rahul titled the balance in favour of the OF INDIAN BATTERS WITH DUCKS IN FIRST TEST INNINGSCT Sarwate – 1946JK Irani – 1947SA Banerjee – 1948Ghulam Ahmed – 1948SP Gupte – 1951GS Ramchand – 1952JM Patel – 1955MS Hardikar – 1958VM Muddiah – 1959MM Sood – 1960BS Chandrasekhar – 1964UN Kulkarni – 1967ED Solkar – 1969GR Viswanath – 1969DD Parsana – 1979K Srikkanth – 1981Maninder Singh – 1982RGM Patel – 1988V Razdan – 1989A Kuruvilla – 1997R Singh – 1999DJ Gandhi – 1999R Vijay Bharadwaj – 1999A Ratra – 2002PA Patel – 2002WP Saha – 2010R Ashwin – 2011UT Yadav – 2011B Sai Sudharsan – 2025
Hans India
20 minutes ago
- Hans India
Paris Diamond League: Neeraj Chopra aims for top spot after consecutive runner-up finishes
New Delhi: After back-to-back second-place finishes this season, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra will look to go one better when he takes the field in the Paris Diamond League at the Stade Sebastien Charlety in the early hours of Saturday (1:12 AM IST). This will be Chopra's first appearance at the Paris Diamond League since 2017 when he finished fifth with a throw of 84.67m as a junior world champion. Eight years later, the stakes are higher, and the field significantly stronger. The Paris meet is the eighth stop on the 2025 Diamond League circuit, which will conclude with the two-day final in Zurich this August. Chopra began his 2025 campaign with a win at the Potch Invitational in South Africa, throwing 84.52m. But it was in Doha that he truly made headlines, breaching the elusive 90m mark for the first time with a sensational 90.23m effort — a new Indian national record. However, he was edged out by Germany's Julian Weber, who registered a personal best of 91.06m. A week later, the rivalry continued in Poland's Janusz Kusocinski Memorial, where Weber again pipped Chopra, this time with an 86.12m throw to Chopra's 84.14m in tricky, wet conditions. The Paris leg promises to be equally challenging. Chopra will once again face Julian Weber in what's fast becoming one of the most exciting rivalries in athletics. Also in the mix are some of the biggest names in javelin throw: Anderson Peters of Grenada, a two-time world champion and Paris 2024 bronze medallist with a personal best of 93.07m; Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist; Kenya's Julius Yego; Moldova's Andrian Mardare; and Brazil's Luiz Maurício da Silva. Five of the seven competitors have personal bests over 90m, highlighting the intense level of competition Chopra will face. Yet, with form, fitness, and experience on his side, India's premier track and field athlete will be aiming to convert his strong showings into a win — one that could set the tone for the rest of his season, including a highly anticipated Diamond League Final. When: Saturday, June 21 at 1:12 AM IST Where: Stade Sebastien Charlety, Paris Where to watch: Wanda Diamond League's official YouTube channel. There will be no live TV telecast in the country.
