Fans erupt as Karun Nair returns to India’s playing XI against England after eight years in the Headingley Test

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The cricketing world turned its gaze to Headingley, Leeds, as India faced England in the opening Test of the much-anticipated series on June 20, 2025. While the contest itself promises to be of high drama, Karun Nair will be seen donning India’s whites nearly after eight years . The 33-year-old’s remarkable journey back into the national fold became the emotional heartbeat of the day, as supporters celebrated a story of resilience, redemption, and unwavering belief.

Nair’s return to the Indian Test XI is nothing short of cinematic. Last seen in a Test match in March 2017, Nair’s career had been a rollercoaster—marked by a historic triple-century against England in 2016, followed by a puzzling omission and years on the sidelines. Despite being part of the 2018 England tour, he did not get a game and watched from the bench as opportunities slipped by. The years that followed tested his resolve, as he was dropped from his state side and left out of major tournaments, including the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Yet, Nair’s hunger never waned. He poured his energy into domestic cricket, amassing 863 runs in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy and 779 runs in just eight innings of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His performances in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024 further underlined his readiness for a Test recall.

In a candid interview with BCCI, Nair revealed the daily motivation that fueled his comeback: “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”.

As he finally walked out at Headingley, the moment was not lost on fans or the man himself. “Life has come a full circle because I went out of the team in England and now I’m coming back into the team in England. So it’s been a while and I’m trying to embrace that,” Nair added, marking a poetic return to the very land where his Test journey had stalled.

Also READ: ENG vs IND 2025: England captain Ben Stokes addresses concerns over inexperienced bowling attack

“🇮🇳 Karun Nair returns to Test cricket after 8 years at Headingley!303* hero back in whites. Life really comes full circle.#KarunNair #INDvsENG #TestCricket#ViratKohli #ShubmanGill #Rishabh #IranVsIsrael

— Ankit Sharma (@AnkitSharm33729) June 20, 2025

Karun Nair makes his comeback to the Indian team after 8 years 🙌#CricketTwitter #ENGvIND #KarunNair #TeamIndia #ENGvsIND

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 20, 2025

This is the team I was hoping to see. Such a great occasion for Karun Nair

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 20, 2025

Good reward for Karun Nair! https://t.co/7a8vTXFXPm

— Uday Kiran (@uk3578) June 20, 2025

Karun Nair Comeback. To bat at #6. Absolutely chuffed for this man, what a journey! Dropped from India, dropped from Karnataka, switched states to Vidarbha, scored bucketloads of runs across all formats: Maharaja T20, SMAT, Vijay Hazare & Ranji and has barged into the team…

— Mama (@SriniMaama16) June 20, 2025

Most Tests missed between two appearances for India118 Jaidev Unadkat (2010-22) 87 Dinesh Karthik (2010-18) 83 Parthiv Patel (2008-16) 77 Karun Nair (2017-25) * 56 Abhinav Mukund (2011-17)#ENGvIND #KarunNair

— UnthinkableX (@Virat_dev17) June 20, 2025

So glad to see Karun Nair back in playing XI #INDvsENGTest

— Mahesh Vikram Hegde 🇮🇳 (@mvmeet) June 20, 2025

2016 ➡️ 2025

All the best @karun126#indvseng #coti🇮🇳 #bharatarmy #karunnair

— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) June 20, 2025

Karun Nair Is Back In Indian Cricket Team ✍️#INDvsENGTest https://t.co/ZHp8TwdnhU

— Yuvraj Srivastava (@The_yuvraj012) June 20, 2025

After 3005 days Karun Nair is back into the Indian whites.👏 🇮🇳 https://t.co/fxUALOhHNJ

— Saanvi (@SaanviMsdian) June 20, 2025

Nair’s inclusion was just one part of a youthful and dynamic Indian side, led for the first time in Tests by Shubman Gill. With stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin having retired, a new generation has stepped up to the challenge. The blend of experience and youth was evident, with debutant B Sai Sudharsan slotted at No. 3 and Nair at No. 6, signaling a bold new direction for Indian cricket. The team’s composition, with its mix of explosive batting and potent pace, was a testament to the selectors’ faith in fresh talent and the enduring value of perseverance.

Also READ: ENG vs IND 2025: Here’s why England and Indian players are wearing black armbands on Day 1 of Headingley Test