Karun Nair’s 204 leads India A’s run-fest against England Lions

Canterbury: With India stepping into a new Test era after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Karun Nair has made a compelling case to be part of the next chapter. The 33-year-old struck a masterful 204 to steer India A to 557 against the England Lions on Day 2 of the four-day match at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury — a knock that may prove to be more than just a warm-up.

Backed by strong partnerships and a fired-up batting line-up, Nair led the charge as India A recovered from early wickets to put up a daunting total. Josh Hull and Zaman Akhter picked up three wickets apiece for the hosts, but the inexperienced English attack had few answers to Nair’s poise and strokeplay.

After his historic triple hundred in 2016, Nair struggled with consistency and soon found himself out of favour. But in the past two years, he has rebuilt himself from the ground up. In the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy, he was a pillar for Vidarbha, scoring 863 runs at an average of 53.93 and playing a key role in their title-winning campaign. He finished the season as the tournament’s fourth-highest run-scorer.

His resurgence didn’t stop there. Nair impressed in County cricket as well, turning out for Northamptonshire over the past two seasons. Across 14 innings, he racked up 736 runs at an average of 56.61, including two centuries and a top score of 202 not out.

These performances have reignited interest in his Test credentials. With Gautam Gambhir now installed as India’s head coach, there’s a renewed emphasis on rewarding sustained excellence in red-ball cricket — and Nair fits that bill perfectly.

After Abhimanyu Easwaran (8) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) fell early on Day 1, Nair steadied the ship and flourished as the innings progressed. He first built a 181-run partnership with Sarfaraz Khan, who made an elegant 92 off 119 balls, and then added another 195 runs with vice-captain Dhruv Jurel, who missed out on a hundred by just six runs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy (5) was the only batter who failed to get going, while Nair brought up his double century — his fourth in First-Class cricket and first for India A — with a stylish pull through the leg-side off Eddie Jack. He eventually fell for 204, edging Zaman Akhter to James Rew.

Shardul Thakur chipped in with a quick 27, including four boundaries, before falling to Akhter. Harsh Dubey (32) and Anshul Kamboj (23) ensured the score surged past 530 by lunch. Harshit Rana (16) added some fireworks with two sixes off Rehan Ahmed before Akhter wrapped up the innings by removing him for his third wicket.

Nair’s double century may not yet guarantee him a place in India’s playing XI, but it puts him firmly in the conversation. At 33, he’s no longer the young prodigy but a seasoned campaigner with unfinished business at the highest level. In an Indian Test side looking to rebuild, his experience and hunger could be just what they need.

India A 557 in 125.1 overs (Karun Nair 204, Dhruv Jurel 94, Sarfaraz Khan 92; Josh Hull 3-72, Zaman Akhter 3-73) vs England Lions.