Is Karun Nair Back to the Phase That Made Headlines in 2016-17?

As the Indian team gets ready for the home Tests against West Indies, Karun Nair is reportedly being excluded from the Test side again. This puts Karun Nair back to the 2016-17 phase, where he saw his prime and downfall within a few months.

A player who scored a triple century in his first-ever Test series might not get any chances for the Indian team in the upcoming Home series against the West Indies. And yes, it is Karun Nair, who made his way back to the Indian line-up for the England tour, and even ended the series with an impressive half-century in a decider match.

Now, the Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, will be preparing for the next challenge, which is the home series against the West Indies. With the squad announcement expected in a few days, it has been reported that Karun Nair won't be a part of the team this time. Considering his age, several fans also think that this might be the time for Karun Nair to call for retirement.

In his place, it has been reported that the Indian team will be going with Devdutt Padikkal, and Rishabh Pant, who are injured, will be replaced by Dhruv Jurel, who looked impressive in the unofficial Test against Australia A. However, Karun Nair remains the center of attention, as he seems to have gone back to his 2016-17 era, taking a look at the recent events.

1. Nair’s Stellar 2016 Performance

During 2016, Karun Nair was included in the Indian team for the five-Test match series against England. In the third match being played at Mohali, Nair made his debut for the Indian team, but scored just 4 runs on his debut. Later in the fourth Test, he went on to score just 13 runs, not being able to impress the team management.

But in the fifth and final Test, Nair took to his best form, as he went on to score 303 runs in 381 balls, which played a crucial role for India to post 759/7 in its first innings. This was said to be the debut and peak performance year for Karun Nair, as he made his mark with a triple century against England, with bowlers such as Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes, etc.

2. Excluded After 2017 Decline

Later in 2017, India and Australia faced each other in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as Karun Nair was once again selected in the team. He was not able to post big scores in this series, despite being able to score a triple century in the previous one.

Throughout the 2017 series against Australia, Nair didn't even cross the 30-run mark in any innings, with his highest being 26 runs in the 2nd Test. Following the decline in his performances, Nair was eventually dropped from the Indian team.

3. Strong Domestic Form Brings Nair Back

Karun Nair wanted to be back in the Indian team, as it was also seen on his Twitter account, where Nair p. His hard work and luck favoured him, as Nair regained his spot in the Indian team for the England tour in 2025.

He performed well in the Ranji Trophy the same year, scoring 863 runs in 9 matches, and creating records in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, as he scored 779 runs in 8 innings at an average of 389.50. Such a strong form helped Nair to regain his prime and his spot back.

4. England Tests Expose Nair’s Wobbly Form

Karun Nair didn't perform well in the England series either, as he played four Test matches and managed to get only one half-century. He did receive good starts in various innings, but was not able to convert them to big scores, which turned out to be an issue.

In the last Test match of the series, Karun Nair notched his first half-century, being able to score 57 runs, which also became his second-highest score after the triple century. With such inconsistent performances, he has reportedly not been included in the Indian team for the home series against West Indies.