‘Dear cricket' gives Karun Nair ‘one more chance'
In December 2022, after being dropped from Karnataka's Ranji Trophy squad for the first time since his debut in 2013-14, Karun Nair let out a fervent plea. 'Dear cricket, give me one more chance,' he posted on X.
Dear cricket, give me one more chance.🤞🏽 — Karun Nair (@karun126) December 10, 2022
That public prayer was finally answered by Indian cricket's supreme gods on Saturday when they chose the 33-year-old for the upcoming five-Test series against England. Karun last played for India in March 2017 (Australia, Dharamshala).
Sarfaraz Khan, who didn't get a single game across five Tests in Australia, may have been unlucky to miss out, but Karun has broken the door open. After being snubbed by Karnataka, he moved to Vidarbha ahead of the 2023-24 Ranji season, and found a second wind as a First Class batter.
In his first foray at his adopted home, he scored 690 runs in Vidarbha's run to the Ranji Trophy final. Last edition, he went one step further, smashing 863 runs as Vidarbha won the title.
In 2023 and 2024, he also played County cricket in England for Northamptonshire, averaging 83 from three matches (249 runs) and 48.70 from seven outings (487 runs) respectively.
This innings was a thing of beauty from Karun Nair. 🤩
150 from 246 balls with 23 fours and 2 sixes. 💪pic.twitter.com/7RdrR6ULyK — Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) September 21, 2023
'We feel that he's batting well enough,' chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said.
'Also, now with Virat [Kohli] not there, [we are] clearly lacking a little bit of experience in the batting.'
The selection for the England tour marks a life-has-come-a-full-circle moment for Karun. It was against England that he made his Test debut in 2016 in Mohali, and scored a triple hundred in Chennai against Alastair Cook's men.
But he suffered the ignominy of being not chosen for the very next game, and during the 2018 sojourn to England, saw Hanuma Vihari leap-frog him and make his debut.
These two memories, along with exit from Karnataka, hurt him, but also drove him.
With the latest reward, he can give them all a quiet burial and march forward with confidence.
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