For 33 years, India's number four spot has been held by two of the country's greatest - Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Before Tendulkar, it was held by GR Viswanath and Dilip Vengsarkar.

But with Kohli's retirement, the question on everyone's mind remains - who will be India's next No.4? Who will carry the legacy forward? Legendary India cricketer Anil Kumble has suggested that Karun Nair can be the one. While Nair doesn't have a legacy like Kohli or Tendulkar, what he does have is a truckload of runs behind him, particularly in the 2024-25 domestic season. Nair scored 863 runs in 9 matches in the Ranji Trophy.

He also smashed 779 runs in 9 Vijay Hazare Trophy matches. He is currently slated to travel with the India A team to England."I don't think anybody thought through who's gonna bat at No.4. Rohit in Australia didn't play the first Test, so there was a change in the batting order. Once Rahul did well, Rohit dropped down the order, and then he dropped himself from the XI in that last Test. So you sort of know who is the backup opener for India, but I don't think anyone thought through No.4," Kumble told ESPNCricinfo."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," the former India captain and head coach added.Earlier Nair had himself said: "At least I think I'm closer (Test return) rather than further. I don't know how close I am. It's at the back of the mind."Only time will tell whether he indeed gets the coveted number four spot.