Karun Nair Dropped from Fourth Test, Not Because of Form – Says Batting Coach

After a long wait of eight years, Karun Nair made his return to Team India for the Test series against England. He was given a chance in the first three matches, but he couldn’t perform well. As a result, he was left out of the playing XI for the fourth Test match.

Edited By: Nishchay

Last Updated : 27 July 2025, 10:46 AM IST

Karun Nair did not get a chance in the fourth test match (Social media)

Sports News: After a long wait of eight years, Karun Nair made his return to Team India for the Test series against England. He was given a chance in the first three matches, but he couldn’t perform well. As a result, he was left out of the playing XI for the fourth Test match. Many believed he was dropped due to poor form, but India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, has explained that this is not the real reason.

Sai Sudharsan Replaced Nair

In the fourth Test match being played at Old Trafford in Manchester, Sai Sudharsan, a left-handed batsman, was included in the team in place of Nair. Sudharsan scored a half-century in the first innings but failed to score in the second, getting out for a duck.

Why Was Nair Dropped?

Speaking after Day 4 of the match, Kotak said that the team management wanted to keep Nair free from pressure. He explained,

"The final decision on playing XI is taken by Gautam and Gill. Even if I were part of the selection group, I don’t think this should be discussed here. They had said that they support Nair. If you look at his performance in this series, he didn’t bat badly.He started well in nearly every innings. Sometimes the management feels the pressure is building on a player and could increase in the next match. So they make changes accordingly. But this does not mean the management is not supporting him.”

Performance So Far

Karun Nair has scored 131 runs in six innings in this series, with his highest score being 40. Although he got off to decent starts, he couldn't turn them into big scores. Often, he got out playing wrong shots under pressure.

What's Next for Nair?

Whether Karun Nair will be picked for upcoming matches or series is still uncertain. Back in 2016, he scored his maiden Test century against England in Chennai, and he converted it into a triple hundred. However, he could not repeat such performances again and was dropped from the national team. After consistent performances in domestic cricket, he earned a comeback after eight years, but so far, the return has been disappointing.