3 Indian players who could replace Karun Nair in the Test playing XI during the upcoming home season ft. Dhruv Jurel

After scoring a mountain of runs in the domestic circuit, Karun Nair earned a well-deserved call-up to the Indian team for the England Test series. He featured in four matches, crossing the half-century mark just once in eight innings.

As a result of his indifferent comeback, Nair might be dropped from the playing XI for the upcoming home Test season. India will face off against West Indies and South Africa, and they'll be desperate for wins as they look to make up for the points they've lost in the 2025-27 World Test Championship.

While India don't have many batting backups waiting in the wings for the top order, they have a few more options for the role Nair occupies. Moreover, with the 33-year-old not having a lot of cricket at the top level left in him, Gautam Gambhir and company might want to move towards youth.

On that note, here are three Indian players who could replace Karun Nair in the Test playing XI during the upcoming home season.

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#3 Dhruv Jurel

England v India - 5th Rothesay Test Match: Day Three - Source: Getty

So far, Dhruv Jurel has been viewed as a keeping backup for Rishabh Pant. But there's no reason why the young gloveman can't play as a specialist batter, or play in tandem with Pant and take some of the workload off his senior teammate.

Jurel has already made an impression at home, with his decisive footwork against spin and composure coming to the fore last year. At just 24, the youngster has his best years ahead of him, and giving him a sustained run in the middle order could yield massive rewards for the Indian team.

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#2 Devdutt Padikkal

Australia v India - Men's 1st Test Match: Day 2 - Source: Getty

Another player whose best years are ahead of him, Devdutt Padikkal has already featured in a few Tests for India. While he certainly has some work to do on his technique, his potential is obvious.

Padikkal's domestic form has seen an upturn lately, and he has the ability to take on a number of roles in the batting lineup. The left-hander can bat anywhere from No. 3 to No. 6, and the flexibility he offers could give him an edge over Nair, who has been restricted to No. 4 or below.

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#1 Sarfaraz Khan

India v New Zealand - 1st Test - Source: Getty

Sarfaraz Khan's exclusion from the Indian squad for the England tour made headlines. It was perhaps unfair on the batter, who - like Nair - plundered runs for years in domestic cricket before fighting his way into the senior national side.

Sarfaraz is an excellent player of spin and has already made an impression in the whites for India. Although his pace game and fitness have prevented him from becoming a regular so far, there's no reason why he can't feature in the subcontinent.

The batter has also seemingly put in a lot of work on his conditioning, making him a frontrunner to return to the team.