"Why the F**K am I...": Karun Nair opens up about the darkest days of his career

Karun Nair had seen his peak and fall within ten months of his time in international cricket. After making his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2016, Karun Nair was handed his maiden Test call-up for the home Test series against England, and he lived up to the expectations.

The right-handed batter had scored his maiden Test triple century against England in 2016 in Chennai. But then he could play only six Test matches and was dropped from the Indian cricket team in 2017. However, he is now recalled to the Test side for the upcoming five-match Test series in England after his consistent performances in domestic cricket.

Karun Nair opens up about one of the darkest phases of his career

Ahead of his comeback match in England, Karun Nair has recalled one of the darkest phases of his career in 2023. After going unsold in the IPL auction and getting ignored by the English county teams, Nair was left with no option but to play village-level club cricket in East Wiltshire, England.

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With no professional offers on the table, the Indian batter joined Burbage & ER in East Wiltshire, where matches were played every Saturday in a small ground with no big crowd. The sudden fall from grace was hard to digest for the cricketer.

Nair revealed that his East Wiltshire teammates would often ask him ‘why the f**k’ he was playing at that level despite being more than good enough for the county cricket.

When Karun Nair had to play village-level club cricket in England

Karun Nair was quoted as saying by Mail Sport, “I kept trying, and no one offered me a contract. After 2018, I always wanted to show that I could play in England. From where I was, it was so tough mentally. I’d wake up asking myself how I’d ended up here.

But I had to suck it up and play and train. It’s like going from playing Champions League to below non-league in the space of a few years. Other players were telling me I should be playing county cricket and asking me, “Why the f**k am I playing here?”

Meanwhile, Karun Nair also opened up about the painful moment in his career that left him heartbroken. During India’s tour of England, he was suddenly dropped from the playing XI ahead of the fourth Test and replaced by Hanuma Vihari.

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Karun Nair reveals his painful walk to Oxford Street after Test snub

The news hit him so hard that he didn’t know how to deal with it. Feeling lost and helpless, Nair left his hotel and walked straight to Oxford Street in London, which is a popular shopping area. With a heavy heart and pain, he began shopping without thinking.

Nair bought expensive items he normally would never even look at, just to avoid the pain. The seasoned batter further revealed that he even purchased a pair of luxury shoes, not because he needed them, but to make himself happy. That day, the cricketer returned with bags full of things he didn’t need, hoping the material comfort would heal the emotional hurt.

He signed off by saying, “It felt like someone had hit me into the ground, and I didn’t know where to go. I’ll never forget that hour when the news hit me. I didn’t know what to do or who to talk to, so I went for a walk all the way to Oxford Street and started to buy anything and everything. I got a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes because I could. I’d never done that before. For me, it was never about money. My interest was purely cricket and wanting to play for India. But I needed to make myself feel happy, and I stupidly thought that would make me happy.”

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