The number four place is up for grabs after Indian stalwart Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket. Naturally, however, replacing the great Kohli will be an enormous undertaking.
Given his top-tier experience and his recent displays of maturity in domestic cricket, Karun Nair has emerged as one of the candidates for the position.
The bulk of Kohli’s Test career was spent batting at number four, where he amassed 7,514 runs at an average of 50.04 in 158 innings, including 26 hundreds and 21 fifties. The Indian team management needs to find a trustworthy number four after he retires.
Here are three reasons why Karun Nair would be the best pick to bat at number four for India in the forthcoming Test series in England, given his background and capacity for handling pressure:
1. Karun Nair’s Red-Hot Domestic Form
Karun Nair has been playing at his best, scoring a lot of runs for Vidarbha in all three forms during the just finished domestic season. In difficult circumstances, he scored runs, particularly when his team most needed him.
Karun excelled in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, earning him a spot in the IPL. In addition to having incredible Ranji Trophy stats, he orchestrated Vidarbha’s title win with a spectacular century against Kerala in the final.
He scored four hundreds and 863 runs at an average of 53.94 in 16 innings. Karun might receive a call-up to the Indian squad for the England visit, considering his current form.
India may want an experienced and in-form batsman like Karun Nair at number four given their abrupt change.
2. Karun Nair Has the Right Game to Bat at No. 4
Karun Nair is one of the most experienced players on the domestic circuit today. Karun has the ideal game for a number four batsman, having made his Test debut in 2016 under Virat Kohli’s guidance. His style is ideal for someone entering Test cricket at a pivotal moment.
He rarely gets stuck and is a busy scorer who enjoys seeing spaces. Karun rarely seems out of form and is an excellent batter against pace and spin. Although Karun hasn’t batted at number four recently, he ought to be able to adjust.
3. Prior experience of playing in county cricket in England
Karun Nair has a successful record and has played in English conditions before. If given the chance to play for the Test team, he will try to apply his experience playing county cricket for Northamptonshire.
He made a total of 487 runs in his seven appearances for Northamptonshire in 2024, with an outstanding double century coming against Glamorgan. In his first season at Northants last year, he made 78, and then hit an impressive 150 during his match against Surrey.
Karun continued to pursue his dream run even after Northants were demoted to Division 2 in 2024. The forthcoming tour would benefit from his familiarity with and assurance in English conditions.
