- By Namrata Vijay
- Thu, 30 Jan 2025 12:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Karun Nair is quite hopeful of making a comeback to the Test squad after being snubbed from the Champions Trophy squad, which was revealed this month. The Vidharbha batter last played in the longest format for India way back in 2017 and has been in sublime form in domestic cricket and is hopeful that he will play for India in Tests again.
Ajith Agarkar, who is the BCCI chief selector reckoned that Karun Nair's name did come up in the selection meetings but he eventually couldn't make it to the squad for the mega-event. Still, Nair is focused on making a Test comeback for India.
"If I'm being honest, before the tournament, I wasn't thinking about that. At least for me, it felt quite far away. But like I said, you have dreams, you have thoughts, you want to achieve things. But you're not thinking, 'I'm going to make it.' You think, 'I want to make it.' But whether it will happen is always a question mark in your head," Nair was quoted as saying to Sports Today.
Nair's snub from the Champions Trophy team surprised everyone as he had performed brilliantly during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He had sc.red 779 runs after playing in eight innings, at a staggering average of 389.50, which also has five hundred and one half-centuries. He also became the highest run-scorer of the tournament and thus made a strong case for his return to international cricket.
"I still have the dream of playing Test cricket for India. I've said it in many interviews. So quite honestly, that was the only thing on my mind. I wasn't even thinking that I'd be mentioned or considered for the Champions Trophy squad, so I feel grateful for that," he said.
Dropped soon after triple century
Karun is known for his unbeaten knock of 303 runs against England way back in 2016 and became just the second Indian batter to have scored a triple-ton in the longest format besides Virender Sehwag. But, his international career almost ended after achieving that feat and he hasn't played for India since 2017.
Irrespective of all this, he continued to thrive and was lauded by all the former cricketers. Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar heaped praises on Nair for his brilliant performances during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
"It was one of the greatest feelings ever to receive appreciation from your childhood hero. It was an amazing moment. I am thankful to him for taking the time to put out that message. I feel truly blessed to have received those kind words from him. But again, I need to keep performing. Every game and every innings counts, so that remains my focus," he concluded.
