As Karun Nair prepares for a potential return to India’s Test XI after eight long years, the 33-year-old admits the journey back has been far from straightforward. From the dizzying high of a triple hundred in just his third Test to years of frustration and self-doubt, Nair’s story is one of rare mental resilience.
While his prolific run in domestic cricket has recently put him back in contention, Nair singled out the “end of 2022” as the most difficult stretch of his life, one that took a deep toll. It was during that time when Nair posted an emotional post on his official X (then Twitter) account, telling the sport to give him “another chance.” Karnataka, his former state side, had dropped him from squads across all formats at the time.
“In terms of incidents, I would say, it was quite a dark place at the end of 2022. Very emotional phase for me. I think the toughest time for me. Even tougher than 2018, or whatever, whenever that was,” Nair told R Ashwin during a conversation on the spinner’s YouTube channel.
Nair, still only the second Indian batter after Virender Sehwag to score a Test triple hundred, has often found himself at the margins since that unforgettable innings against England in Chennai in 2016. Though that knock remains a career-defining moment, it did little to secure his place in the side.
“Honestly, I couldn’t understand what was happening. Because after the 300 in Chennai, after the Australia series, I think the next series was in Sri Lanka in 2017,” Nair recalled. “I wasn’t part of that squad either. And from then on, I couldn’t understand what was happening. Then I had to go back in domestic cricket.”
‘No clue what happened’
Even now, he can’t shake off the feeling that one good series might have changed everything.
“I had no clue what was happening. All I knew was my name wasn’t there. I couldn’t understand how it wasn’t there,” he said.
“But if I look back and think that there is one side of me saying that ‘yes, I didn’t get too many opportunities’. But the other way I would also think is the four innings that I played against Australia, and I got a couple of starts. If I had just converted those starts into bigger scores, maybe I wouldn’t be in this position or had to have gone through that.”
Nair now carries a different perspective.
“No. I don’t want to be where I was a couple of years ago, quite honestly,” he said. “I think at the moment, at least I am very grateful. Like you said, I have gotten past that complaining stage. Very grateful to be in the situation that I am and I just treat every day as something that’s given to me, and I am living my life and doing what I love.
“I am very grateful to everyone that has been part of my journey in the last 2-3 years at least. I have understood to value things. I have understood to value each moment and just treat every single day as a new day.”
With a possible place in India’s XI for the first Test against England in Leeds on Friday, Nair stands on the edge of redemption.