Karun Nair has made his long-awaited return to the Indian Test team for the upcoming five-match series against England. Consistent performance on the home circuit has led to his second spell in the game’s longest format.
Ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Nair said that a well-known Indian cricketer previously told him to retire and focus on playing in franchise T20 leagues, which provide a lot of financial security. The Vidarbha batsman, on the other hand, refused to be discouraged and continued to work hard, proving naysayers wrong with his bat in domestic cricket.
“I remember a well-known Indian cricketer contacting me and telling me that I should quit since the money in these leagues would insure my future. It would have been simple, but I knew that no matter how much money I had, I would be cursing myself for giving up so quickly,” Nair told the Daily Mail, recalling the incident from two years ago.
Nair stated that he was determined not to give up on his dream of representing India again since he knew he possessed the ability set to play at the highest level.
“I would never give up on playing for Indian again.
That was barely over two years ago; look where we are now. It’s odd, but deep down, I believed I was good enough,” he said.
The Jodhpur native earned his international debut against England in November 2016. In his third Test match, against the Three Lions, Nair smashed 303 not out from 381 balls in Chennai. However, he could only play three more games after this shocking knock and was eventually dropped. Nair has an average of 62.33 throughout six Tests. He has also represented India in two Twenty20 Internationals.
Last month, he began his tour of England with a double century for India A in an unofficial Test against the England Lions in Canterbury. This was a gentle reminder to the selectors that he is ready to start in the Test series against Ben Stokes and Co.
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