I still have cricket left in me, says Karun Nair, as his form surge fuels India comeback hopes

Perhaps only a handful of people know that Delhi Capitals batsman Karun Nair, currently in the form of his life, had a long conversation with Sachin Tendulkar after he was overlooked for the Champions Trophy that India eventually won in March. The talk “calmed” a despondent Nair down, and he carried on with his stellar form in the Ranji Trophy — one that his team, Vidarbha, would go on to win.

On the day of the selection committee meeting, January 18, Nair was in the mid of a golden run with the bat in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In fact, during the final against Karnataka, he scored another 27 runs, taking his tally to a staggering 779— the highest in the tournament— with five centuries and an astounding average of 389.50.

But the Ajit Agarkar-headed selection committee chose not to recall Nair to the Indian team. “These are really special performances. I mean, someone who has a 700-plus, 750-plus average [runs, in fact]. We had discussions [about Nair], but at this point of time, it is very difficult to find a place in this team,” said Agarkar after the meeting.

Heartbreak and resilience

Nair, one of only two Indian batsmen to score a triple century in Test cricket, was heartbroken, recalled Vidarbha head coach Usman Ghani. “We all expected him to be picked for the Champions Trophy after his superb performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. After that he was a bit upset,” Ghani told Patriot, a day after Nair hammered a 40-ball 89 in Delhi on April 13—his first IPL fifty in seven years. Despite his explosive innings, Delhi Capitals collapsed after his dismissal, suffering their first loss of the season after winning their first four games.

Tendulkar, too, publicly voiced his surprise over Nair’s omission. “Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, @karun126. Performances like these don’t just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!” he tweeted after the team was announced.

The crucial talk

As luck would have it, Tendulkar’s childhood friend and former first-class cricketer Atul Ranade was an assistant coach at Vidarbha this season. Through him, Nair was able to connect with the cricket legend. The conversation was kept under wraps until Vidarbha won the Ranji Trophy in February, after which Nair revealed it to Ghani.

“He had a telephonic chat with Sachin. He told the master that he was not feeling good. Sachin told him to focus on his performance because that was more important, and not to get distracted. He also told him not to worry [about selection] and to just keep on playing,” said Ghani.

“Karun’s focus was wavering a bit [after the selection snub] and he was getting demotivated. The talk calmed him down. He regrouped and performed again; he is a very strong guy, mentally. He had the hunger to perform and you could see it in his eyes,” he added.

Dominating the domestic season

Despite the Champions Trophy snub, Nair continued his prolific form in the Ranji Trophy. He scored centuries in the final two league matches—against Hyderabad and Tamil Nadu. In the final against Kerala, he smashed another hundred after making 86 in the first innings, helping Vidarbha gain a crucial first-innings lead to lift the trophy after a draw.

Nair finished the tournament with a mountain of runs—863 in nine matches, including four centuries and two fifties—making him the fourth-highest run scorer in the national championship.

IPL storm and all-format consistency

Nair, 33, has now carried his form into the IPL. Bought by Delhi Capitals for just Rs 50 lakh (his base price was Rs 30 lakh), he made an instant impact. Batting at No.3, the Bangalore-based batsman smashed 89 off 40 balls while chasing a target of 205 against Mumbai Indians. He struck 12 boundaries and five sixes, showcasing proper cricketing shots, especially two standouts: an 83-metre flicked six and a lofted six to long-off off Jasprit Bumrah.

His IPL knock has reaffirmed his credentials as an all-format player. Earlier in the season, he amassed 255 runs with three fifties in six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches, taking Vidarbha to the quarterfinals.

“Karun fits in all three formats, though it is not easy. He knows how to switch on and switch off. And he does that while playing in different formats. His preparation before any format is very good,” Ghani noted.

Vidarbha captain Wadkar, who has batted alongside Nair in the past two seasons, praised his game awareness. “He is a very intelligent batsman. He always plays according to the situation. His awareness level is very high. And he likes to take challenges,” Wadkar told Patriot.

Behind the consistency

What lies behind Nair’s remarkable run? According to Ghani, it is his discipline and process-oriented approach. “Your routine and mindset are very important – the planning. He doesn’t get distracted from his routine. He is very disciplined about it and doesn’t compromise. His preparation for matches is very good, as I have seen during his last two seasons with Vidarbha. That is why he is excelling,” he said.

“And his fitness has definitely improved since last season, when he came to Vidarbha. That is also a reason he has played several long innings, as your conversion rate [into bigger scores] and staying power at the crease increases.”

Wadkar echoed the sentiment: “He keeps things very simple. He doesn’t think too much ahead of the game.”

Eyes set on India comeback

Nair’s ultimate goal remains to make a comeback to the Indian team.

“When he joined Vidarbha as a guest player in 2023–24, he was eager to do well not only in domestic cricket but, in our first meeting, he said that he still had some international cricket left in him. He also said that he had a point to prove and that he was working hard on his game for a comeback to the Indian team,” Ghani recalled.

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Despite scoring a triple century—an unbeaten 303 against England in 2016—in only his third Test, Nair played just three more Tests and four innings before being sidelined. Meanwhile, several players with lesser performances were tried by successive selection committees.

In his quest for a recall, Nair also turned out for Northamptonshire in the English county competitions in 2023 and 2024, performing well across formats.

With the Indian team scheduled to tour England for a five-Test series this June, Ghani believes it is the perfect time to give Nair another chance.

“This is the right time he should be considered for the national team in any format. At this moment, India need a solid middle order batter in Tests. The Indian team is going to England and Karun has had two county stints there. So, he has the experience of playing in England and is in the form of his life,” said Ghani.

(The writer is an award-winning journalist based in Delhi and has covered sports for over three decades)