Exclusive: ‘Karun Nair’s Career Is Not Over’ — Coach Dismisses Doubts

Karun Nair has had an eventful year. 

He first had a dream run in domestic cricket and then finally earned a return call to the Indian team after eight long years as he was named in India's squad for the ongoing five-match series against England. 

With the form he was in the domestic arena, everyone expected him to straightaway make big runs. However, it is never easy, especially when you are playing in England. The right-handed batter got a few starts but couldn't convert any of them into a half-century in the first three matches. 

A Crucial Knock

In the fifth match at the Oval, when India was struggling at 123-5, Karun finally turned up and helped India put on a competitive first innings total of 224 runs. He made 57 runs under extremely tough conditions with the ball swinging and a rainy sky. 

"It was a crucial knock. Raising up in tough situations has been his character. He has been doing it for many years. Even if you look at his previous matches, he never looked in discomfort. He got good starts and looked confident; got out to an odd good ball," Vijayakumar Madyalkar, Karun Nair's coach, told SportsBoom.com in an exclusive interview.

"India needed him badly. It was a very crucial partnership he built with Ravindra Jadeja & Washington Sundar, which stabilised the whole thing. The pitch was very difficult."

Vijayakumar worked a lot with Karun in recent years and played a crucial role in ensuring he makes a comeback to the Indian team. He is sure that Karun would do well in the second innings as well.

"The team badly needs to win this match, and I think Karun knows his responsibility and is well prepared to score runs in the second innings as well." Vijayakumar said. 

Karun's Career Isn't Over

After not scoring a big knock in the first three matches, Nair was benched for the fourth match. Many thought it was over for him and he might never play for India again.

“Playing XI is dependent on conditions and pitch. If somebody is not playing, it doesn’t mean his career is over or something like that. When you are part of the squad, you need to be prepared to be picked or dropped,” Vijayakumar told SportsBoom.com.

Madyalkar thinks Karun has a long career ahead of him and his age should only be seen as an advantage.

“He is just 32 years of old. He is supremely fit. I don't see any issues. It is an advantage for the team to have such a mature and experienced player around,” he concluded.