Karun Nair catches up with Crystal Palace midfielder ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test [In Picture]

India cricketer Karun Nair shared a picture on social media on Thursday, July 17, posing with England and Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze. The 33-year-old last played in the third Test of the ongoing five-match series against England, where India narrowly lost by 22 runs at Lord’s.

India are set to take the field again in the penultimate Test of the series, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 23, at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. Ahead of the match, Karun caught up with Eze and shared a photo on his Instagram story, captioned:

“Legend, great catching up.”

Karun Nair and Eberechi Eze (Image via Instagram-@karun_6)

Meanwhile, the right-handed batter has struggled to make a strong impression in his comeback series after eight years away from the national side. Despite getting a few decent starts, Nair has been unable to convert them into meaningful scores. In six innings so far, he has managed 131 runs at an average of 21.83, with a top score of 40.

In his overall Test career, Nair has featured in nine matches, scoring 505 runs at an average of 42.08. His most memorable innings came in 2016, when he registered a brilliant unbeaten 303 against England.

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“Maybe not” - Former Indian cricketer weighs in on Karun Nair’s place for the 4th Test of ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former India spinner Murali Kartik has shared his thoughts on Karun Nair’s selection for the fourth Test against England. The 48-year-old believes that while the right-handed batter may get another opportunity, he will be under significant pressure to perform. Speaking in a video shared by Cricbuzz, Kartik said:

“Karun Nair knocked hard on the door and earned his way back into the team, which is why he was included in the playing XI alongside Sai Sudharsan for the first match. He was promoted to No. 3 from his usual No. 5–6 position because of his experience and the runs he scored in domestic cricket. That’s what got him the opportunity,but has he capitalized on it yet? I don’t think so. And now, the pressure on him is going to be immense.”

“Will India continue with him? They probably should—because you’re backing a player based on logic, and now it’s up to the player to justify that logic. Has Karun done that so far? Maybe not. So, it’ll be interesting to see what Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill think about Nair moving forward," he added.

Meanwhile, England hold a 2-1 lead as the series heads into the fourth Test in Manchester.