On May 24, the Indian cricket board announced the inclusion of Karun Nair in the Test squad, marking his return to international cricket after an eight-year hiatus. In contrast, Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan was not selected, as confirmed by Ajit Agarkar. He stated that the selection committee aimed to maintain fairness and manage the competitive pressure within the team.

Sarfaraz Khan made his Test debut against England in 2024, where he played six matches and averaged just over 40, accumulating 371 runs. He scored a century in his first home series against New Zealand but struggled to maintain his form, contributing to India's 0-3 series defeat. Consequently, he was omitted from the squad for the upcoming Test series in Australia.

Karun Nair has had an outstanding season with Vidarbha, scoring 690 runs in just 10 matches, which played a crucial role in their Ranji Trophy victory in 2024-25. He finished the season with an impressive average of 53.93, including four centuries and two half-centuries. Nair also excelled in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, leading the scoring charts with 779 runs in eight matches, averaging 389.50 and boasting a strike rate of 124.04. His performance in county cricket has also been noteworthy, and he is set to play for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025.