‘I'm going to do everything I can’: When Karun Nair said no to England contract, scripted dream comeback to Test team

Karun Nair was 52 not out at stumps on Day 1 of the 5th Test at The Oval in the England vs India series. Big names like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to make any mark. Last match’s hero, Ravindra Jadeja, failed to score.

Karun Nair held the fort and built a 50-run partnership with Washington Sundar. His batting performance was, however, not a surprise to those who believe in his capabilities.

Karun Nair returned to the Indian Test squad after last playing in 2017. He was 33 when the BCCI called him back. He made a strong comeback by scoring a double century against England Lions in a warm-up match. However, his story started long ago.

Karun Nair first made news in 2016 when he hit an unbeaten 303 in just his third Test, becoming only the second Indian to score a triple century. But, he soon lost his place in the team and faded from the spotlight.

In 2022, he was even dropped from Karnataka’s Ranji squad. Then, he turned to his long-time coach, Vijayakumar Madyalkar. Nair travelled two hours every other day from Bangalore to train at the academy.

Karun Nair practised hard. He played nearly 600 balls in each session without a break. He focused on every shot and worked on fitness too.

His coach said Nair never took things lightly, not even one ball.

"He was never casual in his approach, not even for a single ball he faced in the nets. He worked tirelessly on his fitness and other skills as well," the BBC quoted Madyalkar as saying.

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‘Until that dream is over…’ As if Karun Nair manifested playing for India in England, he started playing for Northamptonshire in the 2023 County season. He scored 249 runs in 3 matches, including 150 vs Surrey. Nair returned in 2024 and played 7 more games.

John Sadler, the then-head coach of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, offered Karun Nair a long-term contract.

"If you don't think you're going to play for India again, would you be interested in signing a longer-term contract with us as an overseas professional to play all formats?" Sadler asked in 2023.

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