Triple century hasn't sunk in yet, says Karun Nair
Flavour of the season, Karun Nair has revealed his ambition to play across all three formats for India on a consistent basis.
The Jodhpur-born batsman has been a consistent player for his Ranji side, Karnataka, over the past few seasons and recently announced himself on the international stage by becoming India's second triple-centurion after Virender Sehwag, and only the third man in the game's history to convert a maiden Test ton into a triple.
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In an interview with Cricbuzz, Nair stated the feeling of completing a triple century hadn’t sunk in yet, “I don't think it has sunk in. It's been just a few days and I haven't had enough time to think about what happened and I'm playing a match now. Over the next few days, I probably will have some time to think about it.”
The youngster elaborated on maintaining his preparations in the same vein as the first two games and being mentally strong as the reason behind his runs. The Karnataka batsman stated his belief in his ability and said, “The most important thing was getting past the 20s and 30s. For me, it has always been about getting my first century out of the way. That's probably the pressure point for me. Once I've got the first 100, I've gone on to get bigger scores.”
2016 – A good year for Nair
Nair, who has had a solid 2016 was rewarded for his consistency in domestic cricket as he made his ODI debut this July. And before his first test cap in Mohali, the 25-year-old also led Karnataka in the absence of captain, Vinay Kumar.
When questioned on doing things differently in the off-season, Karun said he paid heed to the words of Rahul Dravid who underlined the importance of recovery in order to get better as a player. As quoted from Cricbuzz, Nair said, “It has been a tough season, but you have to give yourself a break for a while. Your body needs that. So, lock your kit away and don't even look at it for a month.”
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Nair also outlined the importance of Kohli’s captaincy and the influence of Kumble and Dravid in various stages of his career that has led to his success so far. The Karnataka player highlighted the motivational methods of Kohli and the positive way in which he inspires the team as the reason for the team’s recent successes.
As for his own personal ambition, Nair signed off stating, “I have always wanted to play all three formats for India and do well consistently. So, I think I am on the right path and I have to just wait for opportunities in the other formats. The journey for me has just begun.”