Gautam Gambhir targets Virat Kohli, promises Karun Nair what he never got under ex-captain

Indian Head Coach Gautam Gambhir claimed that Karun Nair will get proper backing from the management, unlike his first run in international cricket under skipper Virat Kohli, to showcase his talent in the five-Test match series in England.

Karun Nair made his return to the Indian Test squad after eight long years and will have a golden chance to cement his place in the Indian Test squad after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bid goodbye to the red-ball format.

Read also: Gautam Gambhir makes big move as this coach rejoins India after 22 years ahead of ENG Tests

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Gautam Gambhir heaps praise on Karun Nair

Gautam Gambhir addressed the media ahead of the England tour and praised Karun Nair for his consistent hard work in the domestic circuit to make his return to the Indian Test setup after eight years.

Gambhir talked about the importance of domestic cricket as he gave the belief to youngsters that if they are performing well in the domestic circuit, then the door will never shut for them to showcase their skills on the big stage.

The head coach heaped praise on Nair for his double hundred for India A against England Lions in England, and added that his experience of county cricket will help the team for the England tour.

"It's great for the future of domestic cricket because all the youngsters who are playing domestic cricket know the importance of domestic cricket. If you keep doing well in domestic cricket, those doors are never shut. It's always good to have the experience of a guy who's played a bit of county cricket. There is when he is in a very good form, where he's got a 200 for India A," Gambhir said in the press conference.

‘Karun Nair will get decent run’- Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach further added that the management will give a long run to Nair and will give enough chances to showcase his talent at the senior level, unlike his initial run in world cricket, as he was dropped from the team after smashing a Triple hundred against England.

"We will not judge someone by just one or two Test matches. I think if someone has scored heaps of runs, I think he will be given a decent run so that he can showcase his talent at this level as well," Gambhir added.

Nair’s experience of county cricket will be handy for the team, and he is also in good form over the past few years. His red-ball experience will mark his importance in the current squad.

Karun Nair’s domestic season

Karun Nair grabbed the attention by scoring lots of runs in domestic cricket in 2024-25. Nair scored 863 runs in nine matches with four tons in first-class cricket. After smashing runs in the red-ball format, Nair proved his worth in the white-ball format as well.

Nair smashed 779 runs in eight innings with five hundreds in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which forced selectors to select him for the upcoming England tour.