Longest gap between appearance in Tests ft. Karun Nair

Not many cricketers get a chance to make a comeback to the Test side. But there are exceptions. Jaydev Unadkat was the last Indian cricketer to force his way back to the Test Playing XI after 12 years, missing 118 Tests during his exile On Friday, in Leeds for the IND vs ENG 1st Test, Karun Nair also made a remarkable comeback after eight years and 83 days of absence. Nair’s last Test match was back in 2017 when India hosted Australia in Dharamsala on March 25. The Karnataka batter missed 77 Tests during his exile.

Lala Amarnath had the longest gap between Test appearances. He missed 12 years and 129 days of Test cricket before returning to the India Playing XI. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi also missed 12 years of Test cricket.

Longest gap between Test appearances for India

Longest gap between Test appearances

However, overall, the record goes to Athanasios John Traicos. The South African player switched his allegiance to Zimbabwe and made a return to Test cricket after 22 years and 222 days.

Timeline on Karun Nair’s India journey

Karun Nair made his India debut back in June 2016 in ODIs. His Test debut was back in November 2016 against England in Mohali. Nair played 6 Tests, scoring 374 runs, including a triple hundred. He played 2 ODIs. However, after being dropped from the Indian team, Nair had a lean patch in domestic cricket, even getting dropped from the Karnataka side. But he made a remarkable comeback with Vidabrha, lighting up the domestic circuit in 2024-25 season.

• 2016, June 11: Makes his One Day International (ODI) debut for India against Zimbabwe, scoring 7 runs off 20 balls. Plays a second ODI on June 13, scoring 39 runs off 68 balls.
• July: Survives a boat accident in the Pampa River, Kerala, during a temple visit after his ODI debut.
• October: Appointed captain of Karnataka for the domestic season.
• November 26: Makes his Test debut against England in Mohali.
• December 16: Scores an unbeaten 303 (381 balls) in his third Test against England in Chennai, becoming the second Indian (after Virender Sehwag) and the third player globally to convert a maiden Test century into a triple century. He is also the fastest to score a maiden triple century in Test cricket (in terms of matches played). Named Player of the Match as India wins by an innings and 75 runs.
• 2017: Plays three more Tests against Australia, scoring modest runs (e.g., 26, 23, 5, 0). His last Test is on March 25, 2017, against Australia.
• 2017: Dropped from the Indian team after Ajinkya Rahane’s return.
• Captains Delhi Daredevils in three IPL matches due to an injury to Zaheer Khan.
• 2018: Bought by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the IPL auction. Plays for them from 2018 to 2020.
• 2021: Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the IPL but has limited opportunities.
• 2022, December 10: Posts on X, “Dear Cricket, give me one more chance,” after being dropped from the Karnataka team.
• 2023: Moves to Vidarbha for the 2023-24 domestic season, marking a new phase in his career. Helps Vidarbha reach the Ranji Trophy final.
• 2023: Plays a short stint with Northamptonshire in English county cricket, scoring 249 runs in three matches at an average of 83, including a century against Surrey.
• 2023: Tops run-scoring charts in Karnataka’s Maharaja T20 Trophy.
• 2024-25 Season: Has an exceptional domestic season with Vidarbha. Scores 779 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, including five centuries, at an average of 389.50, with a record-breaking 542 runs without dismissal. In the Ranji Trophy, scores 863 runs, including four centuries (one in the final), helping Vidarbha win their third title with scores of 86 and 135 against Kerala in the final. Also scores 255 runs at a strike rate over 170 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
• January 2025: Scores multiple centuries in domestic cricket (122, 112, 111, 163, 44*, 112*), signaling a strong comeback.
• February 2025: Scores a double century (204) for India A against England Lions, reinforcing his case for a national team recall.
• April 2025: Returns to IPL with Delhi Capitals, acquired for INR 50 Lakhs. Scores 89 off 40 balls against Mumbai Indians in his first game and 31 off 18 against Gujarat Titans, showing strong form.
• May 2025: Re-selected for the Indian Test squad for the England series, propelled by his domestic performances.
• June 20, 2025: Returns to India Test Playing XI after 8 years and 63 days for IND vs ENG 1st Test in Leeds.