'You need someone in England who has been there and done that' - Anil Kumble names ideal candidate for Virat Kohli's No 4 spot in Tests

The legendary Anil Kumble named Karun Nair as the ideal candidate to bat at No. 4 in Test cricket after Virat Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format on Monday, May 12.

India's next assignment is a five-match Test series against England in the United Kingdom. The series marks the start of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027 cycle. India will have a new-look batting attack, with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Kohli announcing their retirements.

Kumble feels that Nair, who last played for India in March 2017, could do well against England because of his experience of playing County cricket and knowledge of the conditions.

"Karun deserves to come back into the Indian team with the kind of domestic run he has had. So perhaps he could be the No.4 for India because I feel, you need a bit of experience. You ned someone in England who has been there and done that. He has played County cricket, so he knows the conditions. Karun may be on the other side of 30, but he is still young. If he gets an opportunity, there will be a lot more hope for youngsters to play first-class cricket. If the sheer performance in domestic cricket doesn't get recognised, it becomes a bit of a challenge," Kumble told ESPNcricinfo.

Interestingly, Nair's highest Test score of 303 not out came against England at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Karun Nair likely to be picked in India A squad

Nair played a crucial role in Vidarbha’s triumph in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, finishing as the fourth-highest run-getter of the season. He aggregated 863 runs from 16 innings at an average of 53.93, registering four hundreds and two fifties. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was the highest run-scorer, amassing 779 runs from eight innings at a mind-boggling average of 389.50 and a strike rate of 124.04 with five hundreds and one fifty. The right-handed batter also had a stellar outing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

His sensational performances in domestic cricket are likely to be rewarded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as he is reportedly in line to be picked in the India A side which will face the England Lions in two four-day matches during the May-June window in preparation for the five-match Test series against England. A solid performance in these matches could open the door for Nair to make it to the main squad.