Unbelievable and Surreal: Karun Nair Reflects on Record-breaking Achievement

New Delhi: Karun Nair has once again showcased his passion for scoring runs with a remarkable Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign. His exceptional performances not only led Vidarbha into the final but also caught the attention of cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar. Karun Nair's record-breaking achievements have proven his worth as a talented batsman in the cricketing world.

“It feels very satisfying and I’m proud of myself. Vidarbha couldn’t go all the way and win the trophy, which would have been icing on the cake,” Nair told HT. “But individually, I am very happy with how I’m batting. I would like to keep going this way and score a mountain of runs.”

Nair was averaging a whopping 752 before his dream run ended against Karnataka. Although his team missed out by a whisker, Nair sits pretty at the top of the scorers list with 779 runs in eight innings at an average of 389.50.

Before his dismissal for 112 against Uttar Pradesh, Nair had also set a new List A record of scoring 542 runs without being dismissed. He scored five centuries in eight innings. Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, none of them were spared.

Although the 33-year-old was excited about the records he was breaking, the blinders were on -- toying with the bowlers was the priority.

“The games were coming so thick and fast that I didn’t get too much time to think about all these things,” said Nair. “But I would be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind. It did.”

“Whenever I got a hundred, I used to think ‘Oh my God, what’s happening!?’ It was crazy, almost surreal. Something I have not experienced before but something that I’ll keep very close to myself. I want to keep repeating that feeling over and over again.”

The ton against Rajasthan in the quarter finals, however, was his personal favourite considering it came against a quality bowling attack comprising the likes of Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Aniket Choudhary and Manav Suthar.

Nair had started strong since the first match against J&K but he had to make sure he did not burn bright but burn out after that. To reset and repeat the same feat against different oppositions and varying bowling attacks was vital.

“When you start the tournament well, I think it’s really important to keep that going so I would tell myself that every day is a new game and you need to start from zero.”

Once celebrated for his historic triple century in Test cricket, Nair has quietly gone about rebuilding his career, amassing runs with consistency. Prioritising his fitness, having the self-belief and a solid support system through it all has ensured that the motivation stays unmoved.

Nair first spent the English summer with Northamptonshire, scoring 487 runs in 11 innings, including an unbeaten 202. Nair’s stellar domestic campaign was culminating in the background of the lead-up to the selection of India’s Champions Trophy squad. While the Vidarbha captain piled on the runs, social media and former cricketers piled on the pressure to include Nair in the squad.

He missed out on the Champions Trophy squad despite the chatter around him but donning the India jersey again is a dream that continues to inspire him.

“Obviously, the possibility of an India comeback has to be on your mind. If you want to play for the country, you have to keep dreaming. There are these thoughts and dreams in the head but that’s just motivation.”

He may be pleased with himself but Nair is far from done this year. With the Vijay Hazare Trophy concluded, the Ranji Trophy challenge awaits. In a couple of months, Nair will also be seen at a new IPL home at Delhi Capitals after having gone unsold at the previous auction.

“The mindset comes from the hunger to keep getting better every single day when I go out to play. To not be happy with what you’ve done in the past to keep looking forward to doing better in the future.”

In 2022, Nair asked cricket to give him one more chance. Come 2025, cricket is giving him what he asked for. And Nair is fully looking to make the most of it.

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