Karun Nair makes strong comeback case with an unbelievable average in Vijay Hazare Trophy

India's long-forgotten player, Karun Nair, has been at his finest in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. With back-to-back stellar performances for Vidarbha in the domestic 50-over tournament, Nair has made a strong statement to the Indian selectors.

In the six matches that he has batted in this season, he has scored 664 runs, including five centuries, and has only been dismissed once. He averages a massive 664 in six innings and seven matches. His strike rate of 120 has also been very impressive throughout the season. 

In Vidharba's first match of Group D against Jammu & Kashmir, he scored 112* in 108 balls and followed it up with 44* against Chattisgarh. He then began a streak of centuries, scoring 163*(107) vs Chandigarh, 111*(103) vs Tamil Nadu, 112*(101) vs Uttar Pradesh, and 122*(82) vs Rajasthan in the quarter final. 

He did not get a chance to bat against Mizoram as openers Yash Rathod and Apoorv Wankhede chased down the meagre target of 73 with ease. In addition, Nair's wicket against Uttar Pradesh is the only time any bowler has gotten the better of him. 

Karun Nair makes a strong case for his comeback 

Despite his consistency in the domestic circuit, Karun Nair has often been overlooked by the Indian selectors. He has not played any international cricket since his Test appearance against Australia in 2017. Interestingly, he hasn't been given a chance at the top level despite having a triple-century against a top-tier team like England. 

Also read: WATCH: Throwback to when forgotten hero Karun Nair smashed triple century against England in 2016

Now that the Indian team is in a transition phase, with the senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the home stretch of their careers, Nair's experience can be very useful for the team. 

However, with plenty of competition with younger players rising through the ranks, the 33-year-old's chances of making a comeback seem slim. In addition, he rarely also plays in the Indian Premier League, which has become an entry-point for international cricket across formats. He last played an IPL game in 2020.