Picture Credit: X/@BCCI
The Men in Blue are all set to kickstart the highly-anticipated Test series against England with the first Test scheduled to be played from June 20 till June 24 at Headingley in Leeds. However, the home side have already confirmed their playing XI for the series opener, India, who will be taking the field with new leadership roles, is still mulling to field their best XI.
While a few players’ inclusion is sure, Karun Nair is in the headlines as he makes his return in the India whites after seven years. Prior to the first Test, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released an exclusive interview of the Karnataka-born, who feels that “life has come full circle”.
Karun Nair likely to make his return in first Test vs England
Speaking hours ahead of the first Test, Nair spoke of his return in the Indian setup after a long gap. "My first thought when I woke up was I want to play Test cricket, I want to play for India again. That's probably what kept me going and kept me hungry, the driving force to go to training every day to go to practice every day. Never losing that belief and having that target to reach was something that helped me. Feeling honoured to wear this jersey and honoured to representing my country," the 33-year-old batter said in a video posted by the BCCI.
"Life has come to a full circle. I went out of the team in England, and now I am coming back to the team in England, so it has been a while, and I am trying to embrace that," he continued. With BCCI sharing Nair’s journey, fans were left guessing as they spoke of his return in the XI.
Check out fans’ reaction on Karun Nair’s comeback:
India's squad for England Test series
Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
