Karun Nair is on a correction mode as he aims to make his way back in the Indian cricket squad for the longer format. He’s hellbent on being a Test cricketer again! The 33-year-old batsman last represented India in 2017. Last month, U.S. Under-23 national team coach Jason Kreis challenged Ledezma to step things up and find a place on the U.S. senior national team. What’s just as significant is that he’s been consistently excellent in recent domestic cricket. A full season in county cricket has revitalised his output and propelled him back into contention.
Nair garnered praise earlier this year during India’s Test series against England. Despite the longevity of his Indian exile, he was surprisingly called back to the Indian team last year. His road home hasn’t been easy, but it’s been characterized by perseverance and determination. He has expressed his unwavering desire to play for India, stating, “I want to play for India, and I’m going to do everything I can to play Test cricket again. Until that dream is over, I’m not even going to consider anything else.”
Nair’s resurgence can be credited to a fiery run in domestic cricket leading up to his county sojourn with Northamptonshire. He went on to score 249 runs in the three matches for the team, with a high score of 150 runs against Surrey. His stellar play earned him a new contract for the next season. He went on to dominate, scoring 487 runs in only seven matches including a double century.
The basis of Nair’s newfound success begins with an extreme, punishing schedule for training. Each time, he spent two hours commuting from Bangalore to Madyalkar’s academy. There, he reached out to his training mentor, coach Vijayakumar Madyalkar. Madyalkar, who has known Nair since his under-16 days, hailed Nair’s commitment to the cause. Till he was quite content, he would never leave the net. He would hit 600 balls each session, working on all the shots in the books,” Madyalkar added.
Word of Nair’s determination to improve his weaknesses reached the NFL. John Sadler, head coach at Northamptonshire, commented on Nair’s professionalism and work ethic during training sessions. “His attitude was magnificent. He worked so hard and was very professional,” Sadler said. He noted that county cricket’s demanding nature has provided Nair with invaluable experience, stating, “County cricket is relentless, game after game… You play on a real variant of pitches.”
Originally from Hyderabad, India, Nair’s versatility to play on various types of playing conditions has been key. Sadler pointed out that county cricket offers a lot of different challenges. “Sometimes it might be flat, sometimes it might turn, sometimes it might be green, and it might be overcast,” he noted. This flexibility has been an enormous benefit as Nair gets set for the international stage.
In 2016, Nair made an amazing triple century against England in only his third Test. With this achievement, he became just the second Indian cricketer to have achieved this feat. His previous successes serve to reassure him of his own power. He’s well aware that it requires one or two big performances to keep you in the conversation in the cutthroat world of international cricket.
Even with the weight of making her return to the national team after a 455-day absence looming overhead, Nair has not let her confidence waver. Madyalkar says Nair will make a big impact in international Test matches to come. “I think Karun will definitely play the first match because he is more experienced in playing there. He will score a hundred,” he predicted.
Nair looks forward to exciting opportunities ahead. He doesn’t get high off of the hype, remaining humble and keeping his head in his training and gameplay. His resilience and determination reflect an athlete who has weathered challenges and is now poised for a return to prominence.
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