With the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the selectors are eyeing reinforcements with the India vs England series on the horizon. The Men in Blue are blessed with a plethora of talent, but replacing two legends of the game would be no mean task. Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair are two front-runners to make the India squad for the England series and it remains to be seen who the selectors back to make the trip.
India vs England: Shreyas Iyer or Karun Nair, who makes the squad?
India has tried a plethora of options since Ajinkya Rahane’s last Test, but coach Gautam Gambhir is yet to settle on a middle-order batsman. Virat Kohli’s retirement creates a larger void, which needs immediate fixing with the India vs England series coming. With Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, and Sarfaraz Khan all struggling with injuries, the decision solely rests between two contenders: Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair.
Both Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair have seen their careers cut short due to increasing competition. Shreyas scored a century on debut but could only feature in a handful of Tests. The same was Karun Nair’s case, who failed to make the most of his chances after a scintillating triple century.
Karun vs Shreyas Test career
PlayerInnsRunsHSAveSR100s50sKarun Nair7374303*62.3373.9110Shreyas Iyer2481110536.8663.0115Shreyas played his last Test at home against England in 2024. The PBKS captain has played just a single Test in England, scoring 34 runs in two innings. Outside Asia, Shreyas has tallied just 75 runs in 6 innings, with a best effort of 31.
Karun, meanwhile, played all of his 6 Tests at home. The last of those games came back in 2017. The veteran has since made one of the most epic comebacks, scoring a truckload of runs in domestic cricket. Nair was third for most runs in the Ranji Trophy, and top scored in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He further added 255 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to put himself in contention for an India call-up.
Nair has previously featured in the County Championships. The 33-year-old featured for Northamptonshire in 2023 and 2024. The latter was one of his best years, scoring a double century vs Glamorgan to tally 487 runs in 7 games.
Former India captain and Karnataka legend Anil Kumble has backed Karun Nair to slot in at No.4 in the India Playing XI. Kumble argued that Nair’s experience playing County cricket could aid him becoming a lynchpin in the Indian side.
“Karun deserves to come back into the Indian team with the kind of domestic run he has had. So perhaps he could be the No.4 for India because I feel, you need a bit of experience. You need someone in England who has been there and done that. He has played County cricket, so he knows the conditions. Karun may be on the other side of 30, but he is still young,” Kumble told ESPNCricinfo.
Age on Shreyas’ side
Karun Nair is 33, which could be argued against his selection. While experience is key, the selectors and coach Gautam Gambhir have leaned towards a young core so far. That thinking can be seen in the decision to appoint Shubman Gill over Jasprit Bumrah as captain.
Shreyas has age on his side. He could even be a leadership option should things go south in the future. Iyer led KKR and Mumbai to titles in T20 competitions. At 30, Shreyas still has the time to settle in and be a regular fixture in the Indian batting lineup.
Both Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair have done enough to be in the mix. However, only one of them likely makes the squad, with Sai Sudharsan set for a maiden call-up. Whether Karun’s County experience trumps Shreyas’ relative youth remains to be seen.
Karun Nair or Shreyas Iyer, who should be picked for India vs England Tests? Inside Sport India.
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