Vidarbha captain Karun Nair says his dream of playing for India again is very much alive after his record-breaking run in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. Having spent nearly three years away from the spotlight, Karun has scripted a remarkable turn around, amassing 752 runs at an astounding average of 752.
His performances not only underline his hunger for runs but also rekindle hopes of wearing the Indian jersey again after an eight-year gap. It’s an inspiring turnaround for the 33-year-old, who once penned a heartfelt plea to the sport he loves: “Dear Cricket, please give me another chance.”
As the selectors prepare to announce India’s ODI squads for the home series against England and the ICC Champions Trophy, one can’t help but wonder: will Karun’s dream opportunity finally come? “The dream is always to play for the country. So, yes, the dream is still alive. That’s the reason we play this game, to play for your country. So, the one and only goal was to play for the country,” Karun was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Despite having every reason to hope, Karun remains cautious. “I think this is my third comeback (laughs). And I need to keep doing what I am doing at the moment. Keep scoring runs whenever I can in every single game that I play. That’s the most that I can do. Everything else is not in my control. Karun has scored five hundreds in the tournament and will play the final against his home state Karnataka on Saturday.
“But till it (selection) happens, it’s just a dream. It’s still not there yet. But again, like I said, I would like to focus on one innings at a time,” Karun added.
At 33, Karun has endured his share of setbacks and near-misses, including a prolonged slump in domestic cricket and the IPL. Reflecting on those challenging times, Karun admits he was uncertain about his future in the sport. For now, though, his focus remains on staying at the moment and making the most of his second chance.
“I’ve not done anything differently. There is no secret. I think it’s just years of hard work and persistence, you know, the coming together of all of it. And probably you can say, taking each day as a new one and making sure that I respect every single innings that I play.”
“I will be lying if I say I was not afraid. I think anyone would have those feelings. But I never had the thought that my career would end. I just had the thought of where it is going? What am I doing? How has this happened?
“It takes a while for you to come out of that phase and to understand what is happening and then what you are supposed to do. So, I told myself that I need to start from zero again. And give myself a few years and see where it goes. And then I can decide what to do. So, that was my thought process,” he explained.
