"As the England series progressed, Gautam Gambhir.."- Karun Nair reveals India future

Team India batter Karun Nair has opened up about the impact of head coach Gautam Gambhir in the dressing room during the recent Test series against England. Nair revealed that from the very start of the England series, the focus was on unity and collective effort to achieve something special on English soil.

Shubman Gill led India as Test captain for the first time in the recent five-match series against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. With India trailing 1-2, Gill guided the team to a thrilling victory in the final match. The series was a new era for Team India, with Gill as captain and Rishabh Pant as vice-captain.

Karun Nair Struggled to Convert Starts in India-England Test Series

Karun Nair struggled to make an impact in the recent India-England Test series. Nair scored 205 runs in four matches at an average of 25.62, with only one half-century. The right-handed batter got good starts throughout the series but was unable to convert them into big scores, leaving him disappointed.

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Earlier, Nair had excelled in domestic cricket after moving from Karnataka to Vidarbha, amassing 863 runs in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy at an average of 53.93, including four centuries and two fifties.

The middle-order batter also dominated the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 779 runs in eight innings at an extraordinary average of 389.50, with five centuries and a strike rate of 124.04.

The Whole Goal of the Series Was to Do Something Special - Karun Nair

Speaking on Backstage with Boria, Karun Nair revealed that Gautam Gambhir inspired the players with team-first. Nair credited him for providing encouragement and boosting his confidence, allowing him to focus fully on contributing to the team in every situation.

"From day 1 itself, the whole messaging has been about putting the team first and putting all the efforts into beating England in England. The whole goal of the series was to do something special as a team," Nair told RevSportz.

"It was really inspiring, this message coming from him from day 1, and everyone really bought into it, which you must have noticed as the series progressed. Gauti bhai was someone who gave us a lot of encouragement and support."

"I can talk for myself that he really gave me the confidence to go out there and give it my best. So, the whole focus was to go out there and play the way I know, to play for the team in any situation that I was in."

I Would Be Lying If I Said I Didn’t Have Self-Doubt - Karun Nair

Karun Nair admitted that he experienced self-doubt and was unsure how he would achieve his goals. He also expressed gratitude for the support he received during those challenging times.

"Yeah, of course. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have self-doubt. As I said, I could see where I wanted to reach, but I was not sure of how I am going to do that. It was all about the belief and the little steps that I took to put all the effort."

"Going to the gym every day, driving an hour and a half to practice, is something that I look back upon now. I feel grateful for that and for the people that stood by me to help me during those days."

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