NEW DELHI: After navigating a challenging period in his career, Indian batsman
Karun Nair
is meticulously rebuilding his path back to the top.
While acknowledging the dream of donning the Indian jersey once more, Nair pointed out a present-focused approach, concentrating on consistent performance and continuous improvement.
"You have to be prepared for the grind.
It's just about the next game. And I'm not looking too far into the future because sometimes you can get stuck in thinking about what's going to happen. I've had scored a lot of runs in the last one year in all formats. I've just been trying to continue doing what I've been doing the last one year on every given opportunity…taking every opportunity as a new day," Karun said, as quoted by PTI.
Seven years have passed since Nair last represented India, but recent performances suggest a resurgence. His time with
Vidarbha
in domestic
cricket
and Northamptonshire in English county cricket has yielded promising results.
Nair's stint with Northamptonshire proved particularly fruitful.
In 2023, he amassed 249 runs in three matches at an impressive average of 83, including a century against eventual champions Surrey. This year, he continued his solid form, accumulating 487 runs in seven matches at an average of 49, highlighted by another century against Glamorgan.
While not astronomical figures, these consistent performances have instilled a renewed sense of confidence in the batsman.
Beyond the runs, Nair opened up on the invaluable experience gained from playing in English conditions, adding, "You are playing with a different ball there – literally. Everyone knows for Indian batsmen to go and score runs in England…to play the moving ball is tough. So, I've learnt a lot more about myself as a batsman and finding ways to score runs and believing in yourself. There are so many things that I've learnt in England that, you know, maybe I had it in me but I didn't realise all this while."
The move to Vidarbha from Karnataka for the last domestic season proved another turning point. Frustrated by limited opportunities in his home state, Nair found a welcoming environment in Vidarbha. He responded with 690 runs in 10 matches, including two centuries, playing a pivotal role in their journey to the
Ranji Trophy
semifinals.
While a return to the Indian team remains a driving force, Nair intends to achieve immediate goals, noting, "Yes, of course. Everyone plays this game to go out there and represent your country and that's my only aim now -- to play
Test cricket
again, which I think, I'm very confident that I can. I know that I'm good enough."
Nevertheless, he is focused on leading the
Mysore Warriors
to victory in the ongoing
KSCA Maharaja T20 tournament
. "We've crossed the first step, that is to qualify for the semis, which is something that we set out to do when we started the tournament," he concluded.
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