Did a Prominent Indian Cricketer Advise Karun Nair to Retire?

New Delhi, June 16 (NationPress) Indian cricketer Karun Nair, who is making a comeback to the red-ball team after an eight-year break, disclosed a surprising piece of advice he received from a well-known Indian cricketer. The advice was to consider retirement and focus solely on T20 leagues for financial security.

At 33, Nair debuted in Test cricket against England in Mohali in 2016 and famously scored an unbeaten 303 in his third Test in Chennai, capturing widespread attention. However, following that remarkable achievement, he played only three home Tests against Australia in 2017 before being dropped from the squad due to a string of low scores.

"I can still recall a prominent Indian cricketer reaching out to me, suggesting that I should retire because the financial rewards from these leagues would provide me with security. It would have been simple to accept that advice, but I understood that regardless of the money, I would regret giving up so easily," Nair shared during an interview with Daily Mail.

"I was never going to abandon my dream of playing for India again. That was just over two years ago, and look at my situation now,’ he asserted. It’s astonishing, but deep down, I always believed in my capabilities," he added.

Despite facing challenges, Karun Nair remained steadfast in his ambition to return to the Indian squad. After the 2022 season, he faced a tough 14-month period without any competitive cricket. Nevertheless, he kick-started his resurgence with a County stint at Northamptonshire.

"It was a minimal opportunity, but I was grateful because it was what I desperately needed. I traveled to Birmingham, had one net session, and the following day, I scored 78 at Edgbaston," he explained.

Just a week after joining Northamptonshire, he achieved 150 runs against Surrey at The Oval—the same venue where he thought he might get his opportunity back in 2018. "I remember standing on the balcony, reflecting on everything that had transpired five years prior and how it had all come back full circle. That innings was incredibly satisfying because I knew that by scoring runs here, people in India would take notice. I received messages of congratulations from notable figures like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly," Nair reminisced.

In 2023, the right-handed batter transitioned his base from Karnataka to Vidarbha. He scored 690 runs in 10 matches and continued with a remarkable 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games in 2024, including four centuries, one of which contributed to Vidarbha’s trophy victory.

Nair also displayed his power-hitting prowess in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, amassing 779 runs in just eight innings, featuring five centuries. This impressive performance led to his selection by the Delhi Capitals in the IPL mega auction for ₹50 lakh for the 2025 season.

As the year drew to a close, Nair expressed that he was envisioning himself representing the national team once again. "I was manifesting my return to India. There was a domestic match last year during the national anthem, and standing in line, I felt the urge for this to happen again, picturing myself in Indian whites," Nair concluded.