Karun Nair forced his way back into Team India on the back of a dream run in domestic cricket. Karun shone in the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy to draw the attention of the selectors. While he was ignored for the Champions Trophy, Karun made his return in the Test team.

In 2022, Karun found himself out of his state team and was dropped during the Ranji Trophy season. He also went unsold in the IPL 2023 mini-auction. The right-handed batsman was eyeing a county deal to play in England. But none of the teams offered him a contract. He decided to play club cricket in England.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Karun made the shocking reveal and said: "I kept trying and no one offered me a contract. After 2018, I always wanted to show that I could play in England."

"From where I was, it was so tough mentally. I’d wake up asking myself how I’d ended up here but I had to suck it up and play and train. It’s like going from playing Champions League to below non-league in the space of a few years. Other players were telling me I should be playing county cricket and asking me why the f*** am I playing here," he added.

Karun finally got a county deal with Northamptonshire. He returned to England for another county stint in 2024. Karun's performance was also noticed by India legends, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. Karun revealed that the former India captains congratulated him for performing in county cricket.

Karun, who stayed on the bench on the previous England tour, looks all but set to be part of the final XI this time. He is expected to play his first Test in 7 years in the series opener. The fixture is scheduled to kick off on June 20. Karun has 374 runs in six Tests.

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