Cricket
Batter with an average of 664, back in the selection fray, last played for India eight years ago: report


By Kajal Sharma - 13 Jan 2025 08:46 PM
Karun Nair, who has scored 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112*, and 122* in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024–25 campaign, has not lost.Karun Nair wrote on X (previously Twitter) in December 2022, "Dear cricket, give me one more chance," after seeing the tragic conclusion of his cricket career. The middle-order hitter, however, is said to be back in the running for national selection after making a significant turnaround over the following 12 to 13 months. In Indian cricket, Nair's situation is still among the most intriguing. Despite his historic 303 against England in Chennai, he was unable to establish himself as a key player in India's long-term strategy. However, Nair's incredible numbers in the current Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign have compelled the national selection committee, directed by Ajit Agarkar, to take note.In the last six innings of the domestic 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair has amassed 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112*, and 122*. Having amassed more than 600 runs without being removed, he has not yet been removed in this competition.
He also holds the record for most runs scored by a batter in List A cricket history without being dismissed thanks to his valiant efforts with the bat. In addition, he is only the second hitter, after Narayan Jagadeesan of Tamil Nadu, to reach five hundreds in a single competition. Nair is one of just three batsmen in List A cricket who have achieved four straight hundreds thus far."It was an emotional moment when I put that tweet," Nair told the Indian Express his unbeaten 122 and an unbroken 200-run stand with Dhruv Shorey (unbeaten 118) for Vidarbha against Rajasthan. "For six-seven months, when I didn't play any cricket, all I did was travel three hours a day just to have a net session. I had no other option. I wasn't considered for any format and I was really emotional at that point of time. I had to move on and work on myself. Moving on wasn't easy, I needed a couple of months to get over it and then start practicing my skills and mindset. I would say, I was just preparing myself so that when I got another opportunity, I was not going to give anyone an excuse to drop me. For that, I needed to score runs and be consistent. So I just worked hard to get that back in my game," he said.