After being out of Team India’s Test scheme of things for seven long years, Karun Nair is finally back. Well, one must know that his return isn’t just about numbers; it’s about fight, self-belief, and not giving in when everything told him to walk away.
The cricket fraternity still remembers Karun Nair’s peak form, when he famously smashed an unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai back in 2016. Karun Nair played just six Tests before vanishing from the national setup. After being dropped for the final Test of the 2018 England series, things went downhill.
By 2022, his own state team, Karnataka, dropped him from all formats. For over a year, he didn’t play a single competitive match. When his trajectory took a downward path, then came the turning point as he secured a County deal with Northamptonshire in England.
“Retire and Make Money” – Karun Nair Reveals Shocking Advice From Senior Cricketer
This gave him match time and confidence. But during that low phase, Nair added that a well-known Indian cricketer suggested something blunt: to retire from domestic and international cricket to focus on T20 leagues and secure his financial future.
It would have been easy to say yes. But Nair didn’t. “I knew I’d regret it for life if I gave up,” he told the Daily Mail. “Two years ago, someone said that to me. Look where we are now.”
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Now, at 33 years, he is not just knocking on the door, he is breaking it down. He hammered a double century against the England Lions in Canterbury, leading Vidarbha to the Ranji Trophy title this year with three centuries in the knockouts. Overall, he hit as many as five first-class centuries just this year, which is a clear proof that he never lost his game.
Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir summed it up well: “It’s not about how many runs you scored. It’s about the never-give-up mindset. That’s what brings you back. That’s what inspires the world.”
Team India will lock horns with England in the five-match Test series, with the Test opener slated to be held on June 20 at Headingley Carnegie, Leeds.
