IPL 2023: At this stage, Nair is the best replacement for Rahul, says Tambe

LSG’s spin bowling coach Pravin Tambe believes that with vast experience, Nair is the ideal replacement for Rahul.

Lucknow Super Giants Krunal Pandya and Karun Nair during practice session ahead of the IPL 2023 match against Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI / The Hindu.

Karun Nair was one of the noted Indian cricketers who went unsold in the Indian Premier League 2023 auction. After being left out of the Karnataka squad, the batter had not featured in any form of cricket in the 2022-23 season, but with his state-mate K.L. Rahul ruled out of the IPL due to a thigh injury, Nair was roped in as his replacement by Lucknow Super Giants.

While it needs to be seen whether Nair gets a game, LSG’s spin bowling coach Pravin Tambe believes that with vast experience, Nair is the ideal replacement for Rahul. “He is a good player, and during his stint with Rajasthan Royals, he had a good outing. Being a senior player, he has played for a lot of other teams as well, and at this stage, he is the best replacement for Rahul. He has the experience and can fit in anytime and in any situation,” Tambe said on the eve of his team’s crucial game against Gujarat Titans.

Nair, who made headlines with an incredible triple century in a Test outing against England in 2016, has amassed 1496 runs in 76 IPL games, and over the years, he has featured for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

While Nair has already joined LSG and is keeping himself match-ready, the Lucknow-based franchise has elevated Krunal Pandya as the captain after Rahul was ruled out of the tournament. “Krunal is an experienced player, and he has been part of a champion side like Mumbai Indians. He knows how the team environment should be, so KP is the right candidate for the captain’s role,” Tambe said.

In three attempts so far, LSG has never been able to beat the Titans, but the coach is not thinking too much about it. “We are not thinking about easy or tough games. Things change by the day. Our target is to identify the wickets early and just play to our strength. We don’t think about whether it’s 0-3 or 1-3, we just take it one game at a time,” he said.

After winning four of its first six games, LSG stumbled midway and went down to Royal Challengers Bangalore, while its last game against Chennai Super Kings was washed out.