Karun Nair is finally getting the rewards for his consistency in domestic cricket as he was named in the 15-man squad for the England series.. After a memorable first season in his debut Ranji season where he scored three consecutive centuries to play a pivotal role in ending Karnataka’s long wait for the Ranji Trophy title. He has not looked back since then and has kept on piling runs. He continued his fine show in IPL too.
He received his first India call when he was asked to replace Murali Vijay on the Sri Lanka tour and also joined the team for the last Test against New Zealand in the recently concluded series. While he is yet to play a Test for India, he has already played two One-Day Internationals for the Men in Blue, both coming during the Zimbabwe tour. However, it was a forgettable outing for him as he failed to grab the opportunity. But the Karnataka opener said that he was desperate the setback behind and wanted to perform well to get another call from the national team.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he said:“I was disappointed with the way my ODI debut series panned out. I don’t think I lived up to the standards I set myself. Probably I didn’t grab my chances. But after the tour, I decided to put that behind me and look forward to the new season. I didn’t want to sit and keep hoping, but I knew my chances will come sooner than later if I keep scoring runs.”
A place in the middle-order is up for grabs after Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the Test series and Nair, who has made a fine start to the season, is expected to get selected in the team. However, Nair, who generally bats in the top order, might be asked to bat
at number six or seven.
Speaking on that,he said:“I’m not too fussy about batting positions, honestly.I’ve been playing up the order in the IPL, so in white-ball cricket, I’ve enjoyed batting up the order. I started off as an opener for my state side in my junior cricket days and then settled at No. 4. In Zimbabwe, I was asked if I would be ready to open. As a debutant, you can’t have preferences, and it was a challenge I readily accepted.
“Having been on the fringes of the Test team, you do think of all this while sitting outside, but eventually it’s about being confident in your abilities and trusting the technique that has got you to this level,” he added.
Nair has now 8 centuries to his name with the highest score being a mammoth 328. However, it was not like this in his younger days as he could not score a single century before turning 19. Speaking about the newly-found confidence, he credited former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid for the turnaround.
He said:“Once I got the confidence from him, all my self-doubts vanished.I was batting within myself initially. I asked him about the areas I needed to work on. It felt reassuring to hear him tell me there was nothing wrong.
“Someone like him saying that was of real value, so I’ve never had any batting conversations with him since. He has been very supportive, backed me in pressure situations and given me the opportunity to express myself. At that stage, he had more confidence in me than I did. That sort of gives you a boost from within,” he added.
Yet to play a Test, Nair said that being a part of the squad meant a lot to him and insisted that he will be ready when he gets a chance to be a part of the playing eleven,
“It was a great feeling being around legends and future legends. It felt amazing when they spoke of your domestic performances. That gave me a sense of belonging. Being a part of the dressing room for the first time, I still can’t describe. The Test cap is special and I’ve seen the seniors treasure it. When my chance comes, I’ll be ready,” Nair said.