Karun Nair ready to fight KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan for spot in Indian Test team
Published - 19 Aug 2024, 05:50 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:18 AM
Karun Nair made his Test debut in November 2016 for India and by March 2017 had played six Test matches. He also scored a triple century in between that against England. He is the only second batter for India to score a triple century in Test cricket after Virender Sehwag.
Despite all his batting credentials and class, Karun Nair has not played beyond six Test matches for India. He has scored truckloads of runs in domestic cricket and even changed his domestic side from Karnakata to Vidarbha but nothing has worked out so far. Not playing in the IPL regularly has also worked against him.
He is now a forgotten game in international cricket. However, he himself has still got the flicker of hope alive in him for a Test recall. He played his last Test match against Australia and with India playing a lot of Test cricket in the next four to five months, Nair is still hopeful of a Test return. The only issue is he has to compete for a spot in the XI against the likes of KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan who have been performing well for India.
In an exclusive interview with ESPNCricinfo, Nair has opened up on his dream to play Test cricket for India again. He is just 32 and is hoping to find his form in the 30s.
"They say a player peaks at 30-31, I would like to believe that's true in my case. The last one year has been good. After last year's Maharaja T20, I had a pretty good domestic season," Nair told ESPNcricinfo.
He had a good run of form at Vidarbha where he scored 690 runs in the 2023-24 Ranji season. He was part of the Vidarbha side that lost the final to Mumbai. He made an impact in T20 cricket with 95 off 52 balls that helped them pull off Vidarbha's highest-successful chase ever in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, against Bengal. He struck a hundred and a fifty in the Vijay Hazare Trophy too, even though his overall tournament numbers were only par: 230 runs in seven innings at 46.00.
The Karnataka batter also had a stint with Northamptonshire in England where he scored 487 runs in 11 innings in seven championship games in April-May this year. That stint included an unbeaten 202.
Still Excited To Play Test Cricket For India: Karun Nair
Since his return, Nair has been working his way back to full batting rhythm after a short break. He hasn't been picked for the Duleep Trophy but is focusing on ensuring he trusts the methods that brought him back among the runs. With India having a long season of home Test cricket ahead, Nair is not ready to let loose and is hopeful of an India return.
"I feel like I'm batting as well as I've ever done. I am in a good head space, I know where my game is. I am just making sure if I get opportunities, wherever it may be, the focus is on making the most of those chances so that I can climb up the stairs again. It's still exciting to wake up each morning and dream of finding a way back to play Test cricket. That keeps me going. I would love to win trophies; we missed out in the Ranji last year. I will try to correct it this year," said Karun Nair.
