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Karun Nair who has been out of action for Karnataka for over a year and who hasn't donned the Indian jersey for more than seven years, remains a notable name in the domestic circuit. His recent appearance at the Maharaja T20 Trophy opener in Bengaluru was a testament to his motivation to continue playing cricket. Karun made his name in the cricketing world starring his triple century against England in 2016. Nair is currently captaining the Mysuru Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy. The Warriors were narrowly defeated by the Manish Pandey-led Hubli Tigers in a thrilling final last year. Nair was a standout performer in the 2023 season with an impressive 532 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 162.69.
The season is critical for Nair on a personal level as He has struggled to secure a regular spot in the IPL over the past six seasons and is eager to prove his prowess. The right-hand batter joined Vidarbha ahead of the 2023-24 season to gain more playing time.
"They say a player peaks at 30-31, I would like to believe that's true in my case. The last one year has been good. After last year's Maharaja T20, I had a pretty good domestic season,” he told ESPNcricinfo
Nair's stellar domestic season.
Nair had a good season in the domestic circuit, He made 690 runs during Vidarbha's run to the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy final, where they were ultimately defeated by Mumbai. In T20s, he made a significant impact, including an unbeaten 95 off 52 balls that led Vidarbha to their highest successful chase in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Bengal. Additionally, he scored a century and a fifty in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, although his overall performance in the tournament was subpar, with 230 runs in seven innings at an average of 46.00.
"I am just making sure if I get opportunities, wherever it may be, the focus is on making the most of those chances so that I can climb up the stairs again. If you told me at the start of last season that I would score these many runs, I would have taken that. I had been at home for a year, staved off opportunities, and when nothing worked out, I asked myself what I could do. So when I got the chance, it felt good to be able to contribute again. The tough years have helped me push myself that much more. For me, the most important game is the one I am playing now. Be it a league game or a domestic game, I have learnt not to look far ahead” the 32-year-old said.
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Talking about his will and motivation to continue playing cricket he said "I feel like I'm batting as well as I've ever done. I am in a good head space, I know where my game is. I am just making sure if I get opportunities, wherever it may be, the focus is on making the most of those chances so that I can climb up the stairs again. It's still exciting to wake up each morning and dream of finding a way back to play Test cricket. That keeps me going. I would love to win trophies; we missed out in the Ranji last year. I will try to correct it this year."
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