'No Matter The Runs You Have Got...': Gautam Gambhir Sends Message To Karun Nair

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-06-12 17:30:36 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-05-15 17:09:57

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For a while, it seemed like Karun Nair had given up on Test cricket and focused solely on white-ball cricket. In the twilight of his career, after a gap of more than four years since his last Test, Nair made a comeback to the Indian Test squad for the tour of South Africa.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, who knows a thing or two about coming back into the Test side after years, has sent a simple but encouraging message to Nair. "No matter what runs you have got in the past, it is all about what you do from here onwards. Especially in that dressing room," Gambhir told ESPN Cricinfo.

Nair, who had scored a triple hundred in his debut Test match in Chennai in 2017, had averaged a staggering 62.33 in his first six Tests, with three centuries and a triple. However, he failed to capitalize on the start and was dropped from the side. He still averages over 50 in first-class cricket and scored a staggering 900-plus runs in the previous domestic season.

"I wasn't surprised . I knew he would come back into the Test side sooner rather than later because of the quality that he has," Gambhir said.

"He is a typical batsman who can play all the formats of the game, but maybe Test cricket is the format where he will take a little bit more time to succeed because there is more grind and depth required in the five-day matches," he added.

Gambhir, who played 58 Tests, mentioned the importance of mental toughness and having a strong mindset in order to succeed in the longest format of the game. "It is all in the mind. If you want to succeed in Test cricket, you need to play with a calm mind, and if you are not getting runs, you need to take a break and then come back strongly," Gambhir said.

"That is what he has done. He has taken a break of four years and maybe he didn't get the runs that he would have wanted in the past year or so, but he has come back on the basis of what he has done in the past," he added.

At the same time, Gambhir warned that Nair might not have much time to impress the selectors and score big runs in order to cement his place in the side. "He might not have too many Tests to prove his mettle because now there are lots of options available for the Indian team for the number five and six spots," Gambhir said.

"But I am sure he will get another opportunity, maybe in South Africa, to show what he is made of because he has got a lot of talent," he concluded.

Go!