From heartbreak to redemption, Nair's courageous ride

Bengaluru: Karun Nair may not admit it openly but it’s possible the first real major heartbreak in his career he faced was in England in 2018. What happened to him at the Old Blighty, then already a Test triple-centurion and one of the emerging young talents in the country, could have shattered anyone’s confidence.

Some may suggest to him dropped to accommodate Ajinkya Rahane right after scoring an epochal 303 not out in the Chennai Test against England in December 2016 as a harsh step but the Indian think-tank comprising captain Virat Kohli and head coach Anil Kumble then was categorical that the first-choice players missing out due to injuries would be automatic starters once they are fit again. He also got to play three more Tests, out of four, when Australia toured India the following year under the same management.

What happened in 2018 though was inexplicable. Part of the squad, Nair was reduced to just carrying drinks and delivering messages. While that is acceptable considering all in the squad cannot get a game, the rejig following the third Test in Nottingham with India trailing 1-2 might have wrecked Nair.

The selectors axed underperforming Murali Vijay and summoned Hanuma Vihari and Prithvi Shaw for the final two games. The team management, with Ravi Shastri as head coach now, then rubbed salt into Nair’s wounds by handing a debut to Vihari in the final Test, choosing to ignore the Karnataka batter for reasons best known to them. Plenty of stories were planted on why Nair was treated like that but that trip to England delivered a debilitating blow.

His game suffered a rapid slide, the confidence took a beating and runs dried up. So much so that he even ended up losing his spot in the Karnataka team and finding no-takers. He literally begged for a second chance on social media, posting “Dear cricket give me one more chance” on X, formerly Twitter, on December 10, 2022.

Yes, he sought sympathy, but who doesn’t when they hit rockbottom. The cricketing gods felt considerate when he got a stint with Northamptonshire in English County cricket and the 33-year-old made the most of the second chance, earning praise from even the harshest critics for resurrecting himself through bloody-mindedness.

In the 2023 County season, he scored 249 runs, including a fine 150 against eventual champions Surrey. Then he struck a deal with Vidarbha for the 2023-24 season when he scored 690 runs in the Ranji Trophy at a decent average of 40.58. Last County season he upped the ante, amassing 478 runs with the icing on the cake being an unbeaten 202 against Glamorgan.

Things then just kept getting better for Nair. Last domestic season he made everyone take notice of his India ambitions when he scored 779 runs and steered Vidarbha to Ranji Trophy triumph. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy he left everyone bewildered by hammering 779 runs, including five centuries at a mind-blogging average of 389.50 after flirting close to 600 at one point.

All the hurt and pent-up emotions must have triggered the fire inside Nair, normally an introverted person. Credit to Nair too for using the setback as a motivation to script one of the most famous comebacks in India's cricketing folklore, almost close to VVS Laxman’s story when the Hyderabadi hammered 1415 runs from 9 matches in domestic circuit (1999) after being dropped from the Indian team.

Life has come full circle for Nair, who has played six Tests. It was England that caused him great pain. Now, it’s England where he can find redemption, provided he gets picked in the playing XI.