'Kept My Dream Alive...': Karun Nair Finally Opens Up On Making India Comeback
Karun Nair's return to India's Test team shows patience and resilience. After scoring 303* and eight years on the sidelines, his performance domestic cricket earned him a spot.
Karun Nair detailed the hard work he put in to earn a spot during India's recent tour of England and revive his dream of representing the nation in Test cricket.
After scoring a record-breaking 303* and spending eight years on the sidelines, Nair's journey exemplifies patience, grit, and resilience. Almost a decade later, he re-entered the Indian Test side following his impressive form. From India's domestic circuit to England's County Championship, Nair worked tirelessly to catch the selectors' attention.
During his time away from the national team, he played for Northamptonshire, featuring in 10 matches and 14 innings, and scoring 736 runs at an impressive average of 56.61. His notable performances included two centuries and four fifties, with an unbeaten 202.
Nair's remarkable form was evident in the last season of India's domestic circuit. Representing Vidarbha, he amassed runs consistently across formats, contributing significantly to his team's Ranji Trophy title victory.
However, his return to the Indian Test squad was not the result of just a year or two of effort but rather four to five years of relentless hard work. Nair spoke about his journey in an interview with Revsportz, emphasising the sustained effort he put into honing his skills and fitness.
'I wouldn't say just two years, it's more like four to five years of hard work, and the last two years have just been the result of that hard work. Working on my skills and fitness every single day, patiently, was something I have practised," Nair was quoted as saying.
'Kept my dream alive of playing for India once again, without giving up. Only focus was on how I am going to make it and what should I be doing for that. I just took one day at a time, and all I could see was the target of getting back there," he continued.
For Nair, there was no designated path or clear direction to reach his goal. His mindset was solely focused on giving his all and ensuring consistent performances, regardless of the fixture.
'Kept telling myself that I should be giving everything that I can, and hopefully I'll reach my goal. There was no set path that I had in mind, or a clear direction to reach the target point, but it was just about putting in all the effort while making sure I performed in every game, irrespective of what game it is. I guess taking one day at a time and not looking too far ahead helped me," he said.
How Karun Nair Made India Comeback?
Nair's dream became reality when his name appeared on India's playing XI for the series opener against England at Headingley. The 33-year-old felt the adrenaline rush as the moment he had always dreamt of was now his reality.
'Yeah, it was a moment of goosebumps, and I can still feel that when I'm talking about it. A year back, I used to dream about being in the whites and standing there with the team. And then, there I was living my dream that I have once lived inside my head," he said.
'It is an amazingly grateful feeling and something that you cannot explain. It took me a while to get used to the fact that now I have the stage and that I have made it back to the team. Now is the time to go and grab the opportunity," he added.
Nair returned from England after scoring 205 runs at an average of 25.62, including a valuable 57 in the first innings at The Oval.
tags :
India vs England India vs England 2025 karun nair
view comments
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 15, 2025, 17:09 IST
News cricket 'Kept My Dream Alive...': Karun Nair Finally Opens Up On Making India Comeback
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
3 minutes ago
- India.com
WATCH: Rohit Sharma asked Rishabh Pant about retirement after winning ICC Champions Trophy 2025, video goes viral
WATCH: Rohit Sharma asked Rishabh Pant about retirement after winning ICC Champions Trophy 2025, video goes viral New Delhi: Rohit Sharma has proved himself to be one of the best white-ball captains in Indian cricket history. But his path to success has not been as easy as it seems. After the defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, he waited a long time and won the T20 World Cup in 2024 to give India the ICC title after 11 years. After this, he announced his retirement from this format so that he could focus on the other two formats. The captain who won two ICC titles After the T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma also did wonders in the Champions Trophy 2024. In this tournament held in Dubai, India remained undefeated and won the title. However, this time he did not decide to retire. Rohit's goal is to win the 2027 ODI World Cup, about which he has spoken openly many times. Team India's celebration and Rishabh Pant's video On the occasion of Independence Day, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant refreshed the memories of the Champions Trophy win. In the video shared on Instagram, Pant teased Shubman Gill and was seen having fun with players like Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel. Virat Kohli was also seen in the video, where Pant jokingly threw champagne on him. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rishabh Pant (@rishabpant) Rohit Sharma responded on retirement At the end of the video, Rohit Sharma was seen holding the stump in his hand and he responded in a funny way to the retirement rumors – 'Retirement lelu? Har baar jeetega toh mai thodi retirement leta rahunga.' To this Pant said – 'Maine nahi bola bhai, hum toh chaha rahe hai khelo.
News18
13 minutes ago
- News18
'Put In A Good Word': Ronaldinho, Emi Martinez Indian Visits Driving Factor Behind Lionel Messi's Three-City Tour
Last Updated: The organiser of Messi's India tour, opened up on the impact Ronaldinho's and Emiliano Martínez's visits last year had on brining the eight time Ballon d'Or winner to Indian shoes. Argentine World Cup-winner Lionel Messi's is set to make the trip to India for a three-city tour in December, event promoter Satadru Dutta confirmed on Friday. This marks the Argentine legend's first trip to India since 2011, when he visited with his national team to play a FIFA friendly against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium. The organiser of the iconic tour, Dutta, opened up on the impact of Ronaldinho's and Emiliano Martínez's trips to India last year as the legendary Brazilian participated in a charity game in Chennai, while the Argentine shot stopper made the trip to Kolkata to take in the affection the City of Joy has for the sport. Dutta revealed that he had requested the footballers to put in a good word to Messi, with plans of brining the magician from Roasrio to India conceived much earlier. 'The football world is a small circle," Dutta said. 'When I got Emi Martinez and Ronaldinho to Kolkata, I told them that I am trying to bring Messi to India and your review will matter," he explained. 'If you can give a good review to his team and even Messi himself, it will help. Touchwood, I executed it in a neat and clean way, they gave a very good review to Messi," he added. Dutta also met with Messi' father, Jorge, last year to discuss the possibility of the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's travel to the peninsular nation. 'I just said if it would be possible over the next one or two years, he said 'I love the idea'," Dutta said. The football-mad city of Kolkata will be the first stop on Messi's tour, titled 'GOAT Tour of India 2025', followed by Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. 'If it is not multiple cities, it won't be financially viable," Dutta said, revealing the rationale behind the three-city tour. The visit is scheduled to culminate with a meeting between Messi and the Honourable Prime Minister of the nation, Narendra Modi , at his residence on December 15. 'We will seek an appointment from the Prime Minister," Dutta said. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
13 minutes ago
- News18
Son Of Ex-India Cricketer Registers Maiden Half-Century In County One-Day Cup
Last Updated: Harry Singh has scored his maiden fifty in the County One-Day Cup, but Lancashire lost to Sussex by one wicket. Star Lancashire batter Harry Singh on Friday registered his maiden fifty in the County One-Day Cup, although it wasn't enough for his team to register a win against Sussex, who eked out a one-wicket win at Hove. Harry is the son of former cricketer Rudra Pratap Singh, who played two ODIs for India in the 1980s. Put in to bat first, Michael Jones and wicketkeeper George Bell built a 157-run partnership for the opening wicket. Lancashire soon found themselves at 186/3, before skipper Marcus Harris and Harry added 51 runs for the fourth wicket. After Harris was dismissed by Sean Hunt, Harry and George Balderson added 47 runs for the fifth wicket, before the latter was dismissed by Henry Crocombe. As Lancashire found themselves at 284/6, Harry added 30 runs for the seventh wicket with Ollie Sutton before he was dismissed by Crocombe. He finished with a 64-ball 71, which included five fours and four sixes. Harry had earlier reached the milestone off 44 deliveries, clipping Danny Lamb, brother of England allrounder Emma, for a single. Watch the video here: Harry is the son of former Indian pacer Rudra Pratap Singh, who opened the bowling alongside Kapil Dev in two ODIs against Australia in 1986. Harry's sister, Anjalie, has featured in T20s for Lancashire as well and represented Cumbria in List A cricket. Harry rolled his arm over as well in the game, sending down six overs of off-breaks for only 18 runs. Sussex, in the process of chasing down 339, went past their previous record against Kent in 2017, when they chased down 332 in less than 48 overs. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
