He has been termed one of many unluckiest cricketers to don the Test cap for India. Only the second Indian to attain a Test triple-century, his promising profession was dropped at a sudden halt after simply three additional matches towards Australia at house, the place he managed a highest rating of 26.
But for Karun Nair, an episode a number of months earlier than that once-in-a-lifetime innings confirmed he was in all probability one of many luckier ones.
While on a go to to Aranmula in Kerala for a temple pageant, the boat that Karun was seated on capsized within the river Pampa. The 100-odd folks on the boat had been stranded with little or no hope till rescue boats arrived to take them again to security.
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“It [the incident] puts your life into perspective. I think it makes you think in a different way because that was almost like, I had said my goodbyes to myself at least,” Karun mentioned recalling the unlucky incident throughout a chat with Sportstar.
“I think after that I’ve been more fearful of my life. I was more careless and rash before that. I think that incident made me grow way past my years,” he added.
Seven years after the incident, six after his final look for the nationwide workforce, Karun continues to imagine in making a comeback on the highest degree.
“You keep learning every day and at the moment the only way back is scoring in each game. That’s my only thought process, how can I get back into the India team if there’s an opportunity?” he mentioned.
“I certainly feel that I have the capabilities to play Test cricket. Whenever I get the opportunity to play for India A, that’s when I should be capitalizing,” he added.
Game time has been scarce within the Indian Premier League (IPL) as properly. Since 2018, Karun has made solely eight appearances within the competitors throughout 4 groups – Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and the Lucknow Super Giants.
Karun stays assured about making it rely when the possibility arrives. “It’s been hard, the last few seasons. I have just warmed the benches. I’m really looking forward to that opportunity,” the batter mentioned. “And I’m sure that when I receive that opportunity, I will contribute. The self-belief is there.”
The 31-year-old says he endured the same section when he began his senior profession. “Before I made my First Class (FC) debut, I was just warming the benches for three seasons,” he mentioned.
“I was just watching and learning from the sides, from my mistakes and others’ mistakes. I’m trying. I’m working on various aspects of my games. I’m just waiting to showcase what I can contribute,” he added.
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After a trophy-laden stint with Karnataka within the home circuit, Karun moved to Vidarbha forward of the present season.
He had been a middle-order mainstay for Karnataka since his List A debut in 2012 towards Goa. He was a part of the squad that gained 4 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) and two Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) titles within the final decade, even captaining the facet within the 2017/18 VHT, when it beat Saurashtra within the ultimate.
The resolution to maneuver to a brand new workforce comes after he was not chosen to characterize the facet through the SMAT and the VHT in 2022.
Now into his second match with Vidarbha, Karun has had a constructive begin and says he has adjusted properly to the brand new setting.
“I think it has been amazing. The team has given me the freedom to go out there and express myself, which is really important when you come into a new team. So [I am] really happy with how things are,” the batter mentioned.
Before the home leg, he had a productive stint taking part in for Northamptonshire within the County Championship Division One, the place he scored a century at The Oval and a half-century at Edgbaston.
The type has continued into the home tournaments as properly. During the 2023 SMAT, the 31-year-old scored an unbeaten 95 chasing 212 towards Bengal and struck one other fifty towards Jharkhand, albeit in a shedding trigger.
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“I had two really good innings against two really good teams. I got a couple of starts in the other games as well, which I should have capitalized on. But all in all, really happy with how the tournament went,” he mentioned.
Vidarbha has had a very good begin to the VHT as properly, profitable 5 out of six video games thus far, with Karun contributing with 100 towards Hyderabad and a half-century versus Meghalaya. With the trail to the knockouts nearly secured, he says the workforce is assured of going deep into the match.
“I think we’re on the right path. I think everyone’s chipping in at the right moment,” he mentioned. “It’s about [taking it] game by game and when we get into the knockouts, it’s a different tournament. Then it is about standing up and performing.”
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com
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