The England tour proved difficult for Karun Nair, a middle-order batsman for Team India. While others like Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja achieved success, Nair’s performance was below expectations, with only one half-century in the Test series. Following the series, Nair’s social media comments about Test cricket led to retirement well-wishes, although he has not announced retirement.
In his Instagram post, Nair reflected on the challenges of Test cricket. He wrote, “Where every run is a labor and every wicket is a reward. It challenges your mind, body, and soul – day in and day out. In the last few months, we gave it our all and this team showed what purposeful struggle means? No shortcuts, just the right effort and pride in the badge and a great finish. What a journey!” This post prompted a fan to comment, “Happy Retirement brother”. This led to speculation about his retirement from Test cricket, which has not been addressed by Nair. In the England Test series, Nair scored 205 runs in 8 innings, averaging around 25. He may miss the Duleep Trophy due to a finger injury sustained during the final Test. He was due to play for the Central Zone team. The Duleep Trophy 2025 starts on August 28.
With his performance in England, a return to Test cricket seems unlikely. Shreyas Iyer could be brought in to replace him. Iyer is reportedly ready to return to Test cricket.