'It Was Hard & Lonely': KL Rahul Shares Special Message For Karun Nair On India Comeback Ahead Of England Series; Video

As Team India prepares toi face England in five match test series, all eyes will be on 'Comeback Man' Karun Nair. The middle order batsman returns to the national team after seven years after scoring tons of runs in domestic cricket. As he prepares to cement his place in the test tem, Nair's friend and Karnataka teammate KL Rahul has a special message.

Speaking to BCCI TV, Rahul said, " I have known him for a very long time and the months that he spent here in UK playing cricket and how hard and lonely was it for him to be able to do all of that and be able to make a comeback to the Indian team i think it is special for him and his family and friends like us who have seen his journey and hopefully his experience and learning from playing county cricket will keep him in good stead when he plays test here".

Karun Nair's return to the Test squad

Nair’s comeback to the Test squad is a result of a brilliant domestic performance with the bat. Following a difficult few years with Karnataka, where opportunities became limited, he made a bold move to Vidarbha ahead of the 2023–24 season. That switch proved crucial. In his debut season with Vidarbha, he scored 690 runs in 10 matches. He then followed it up with an even stronger 2024–25 Ranji Trophy campaign, where he amassed 863 runs in nine matches at an average of 54.

His century in the Ranji final against Kerala helped Vidarbha lift their third Ranji Trophy title. His purple patch wasn’t limited to the Indian domestic circuit. Nair also impressed in the 2024 County Championship, scoring 487 runs in seven games at an average of 48.70, including a double century (202*).