‘His experience will come in handy’ – Gautam Gambhir on Karun Nair’s inclusion for England Tests

Gautam Gambhir has opened up on Karun Nair‘s return to the scheme of things in Test cricket, following his double ton on the first unofficial Test between India A and England Lions. Before departing for England, India’s head coach and the new Test skipper Shubman Gill addressed a range of issues, with Gambhir claiming Nair’s success to be “great for domestic cricket”.

The Indian coach stated that the younger players must know the importance of performing at the domestic level as it could pave way for their national selection. Gambhir also stated that Nair’s experience of playing County cricket will help India on the tour. In the absence of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Nair will have some added responsibility in England.

“It’s just great for domestic cricket. All the youngsters will know its importance. If you keep doing well there, doors are never shut for you. Always good to have the experience of Karun. He played County cricket there, and he is in really good form. His experience will come in handy,” Gambhir said in the press conference before India’s tour of England.

We won’t judge someone by one or two Test matches: Gautam Gambhir

Meanwhile, Gambhir reckoned that the Indian management does not judge the players based on their performances in a couple of matches and confirmed that the players will be given a consistent run.

“More importantly, we won’t judge someone by one or two Test matches. If someone has scored heaps of runs, he will be given a decent run so that he can show his talent at the international level,” Gambhir added.

In the first unofficial Test against England Lions, Karun was the top scorer with a 204-run knock in 273 deliveries, including 26 fours and a six. He scored runs consistently in domestic cricket in the 2024-25 season, which earned him a spot in India’s squad for the first time since 2017.