The curious case of Karun Nair: What wrong did he do?
On December 19, 2016, Karun Nair created history. He played the innings of his career and became only the second Indian to slam a triple century in the purest format of the game. It came in the fifth and final Test of the India-England series in what was only his third outing with the willow. Thus, he joined former opener and swashbuckling batsman Virender Sehwag in an elite club.
But, Nair’s heroics was special as it came during the initial phase of his career. Before that day, he didn’t have the backing of a vast majority. He wasn’t a household name by any means. Following his knock, he was even acknowledged by Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter. By the time he returned to the pavilion, he had made the day his own.
It is interesting to note that Sehwag achieved the rare feat in his 34th innings. By then, he had already been backed at the top order. As a result, it seems extremely harsh that Nair was dropped from the national side only after his fourth innings since the triple ton. The Karnataka batsman last represented India in early 2017.
Since his omission, Nair has still been relevant in the Indian domestic circuit. In the 2017-18 edition of Ranji Trophy, the right-hander returned with 612 runs in seven matches, including three triple-figure scores and a solitary fifty. He also had a hundred in his only appearance in Duleep Trophy 2017-18. Runs haven’t evaded the batsman even in the ongoing edition of the Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru and Alur.
Nair is the leading run-scorer with 265 runs in two innings, including a fifty and a half-century. While it seems he is doing everything right, but it is beyond the majority’s understanding of why the team management and MSK Prasad-led selection committee hasn’t fully backed the talented cricketer? Without much fault of his own, Nair seems to have become a backbencher who is fighting for his existence in Indian cricket.
While Nair was excluded from India’s South Africa tour in 2018, he was with the team for close to two months during the England tour last year. When the opportunity came to spring in a change in the middle order, Virat Kohli-led India opted for Hanuma Vihari, who wasn’t even in the squad in the first place. Since then, he hasn’t even been considered for any format.
“We (Karun, selectors and the management) haven’t had any conversations. Nothing. It’s difficult, but I haven’t gone and asked anything”, Nair opened up on his non-selection in 2017.
Thus, Nair’s omission certainly makes a curious case. It depicts that sometimes even performances do not guarantee a place in the national side. The 27-year-old seems haplessly caught in a selection crossfire. No one knows when his queries will be answered and he will make a return to the national team.
