“Reflecting on the events, I would describe the end of 2022 as quite a dark period for me. It was an emotional time, perhaps the hardest I’ve faced—tougher even than 2018 or whenever that was,” Nair disclosed during a conversation with R Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
It was during this phase that Nair turned to social media to express, “Dear cricket, give me one more chance,” on Twitter (now X).
Despite making a strong resurgence following a successful domestic season, Nair chooses not to revisit his troubled past, which followed his historic triple century. Debuting against England in 2016, he was left puzzled by his sudden removal from the national team despite his impressive performance.
“No. I don’t want to revisit where I was a couple of years back, to be honest. I am extremely thankful to everyone who has been part of my journey over the last 2-3 years. I have learned to appreciate things. I have learned to value each moment and approach every single day as a new opportunity,” he remarked.
“Honestly, I was bewildered by what was unfolding. After the 300 in Chennai and following the Australia series, the next series was in Sri Lanka in 2017,” he explained.
I wasn’t included in that squad as well. From that point, I couldn’t grasp what was going on. I had to return to domestic cricket, completely unaware of the situation. All I knew was my name wasn’t on the list, and I couldn’t comprehend why,” Nair continued.
As the England series approaches, Gambhir showered praise on Karun Nair, who has made a remarkable comeback to Team India following a stellar domestic cricket performance.
“Comebacks are never straightforward, especially for someone who has returned after seven years and had an outstanding last year.
“The number of runs you’ve accumulated, and more importantly, that relentless spirit—it’s what has brought you back into the team, serving as inspiration for everyone here. Welcome back, Karun Nair,” Gambhir stated.
Karun expressed his gratitude for being given a second chance to represent India.
“I’m thankful for this opportunity once again. I’m genuinely looking forward to seizing this chance with both hands. I know I’ll feel a lot of emotions once I step out there, but I can’t express them right now,” Karun shared.
