Karun Nair told to 'retire' by a prominent Indian cricketer months before comeback: 'Said I should secure my future'

It’s been a long wait, but cricket has finally given Karun Nair another chance. Eight years after his sudden disappearance from the reckoning—despite a record triple century against England at home—Nair has earned a well-deserved shot at redemption, again against England. This time, it’s to cement his place in India’s Test set-up. And as the big day nears, with clear signs pointing to his inclusion in the playing XI for the opening Test at Leeds starting June 20, Nair has revealed that not long ago, he was advised to retire. Karun Nair is all set to feature in the England Test series

His comeback hasn’t come on the back of just one solid domestic season. Yes, he scored 863 runs at 53.93 in a title-winning Ranji Trophy campaign, followed by five centuries in eight innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, averaging 389.50—a run that even had him in the reckoning for the Champions Trophy squad earlier this year. But this return is the culmination of years of quiet perseverance, during which consistent performances kept him on the radar, even if opportunities in the main squad continued to elude him.

During this long wait, about two years ago, a “prominent Indian cricketer” told him it was time to call it quits and focus on securing his future through overseas T20 leagues—only possible if he ended his BCCI ties, as per board rules.

“I still remember a prominent Indian cricketer calling me and saying I should retire because the money in these leagues would make me secure. It would have been easy to do, but I knew that regardless of the money, I would be kicking myself for giving up that easily,” Nair told the Daily Mail.

In hindsight, Nair can only be grateful he didn’t give in—because 2025 has turned out to be the year of his return.

“I was never going to give up on playing for India again. That was just over two years ago, and look where we are now. It’s crazy, but deep down, I knew I was good enough,” he added.

It wasn’t just domestic cricket that kept him in form. His County Championship experience with Northamptonshire also proved invaluable. The 33-year-old amassed 736 runs over the 2023–24 seasons at an average of 56.61.

“Comebacks are never easy,” head coach Gautam Gambhir told the Test squad ahead of their first training session. “The amount of runs you’ve got, the never-give-up attitude—it’s inspiring for the entire team. Welcome back, Karun Nair.”

That welcome has been vindicated. Earlier this month, Nair made a strong statement with a double hundred in the first India A game—virtually sealing his spot for the England Test series opener.

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