From the brink of drowning to Test cricket’s star: the Karun Nair story

Dubai: I first encountered Karun Nair nearly two decades ago. It was during a net session at the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. A shy, focused boy of about 12 or 13, he quietly went about his batting drills alongside another teenager who would soon become a household name — KL Rahul.

Even at that age, there was something about the two of them. They had a poise, a method, and a quiet fire. Long hours in the nets, dedication without fanfare — they were clearly not just playing the game, they were learning how to master it.

Both boys rapidly rose through the Karnataka junior cricket ranks. Rahul would go on to scale international heights, cementing his place in India’s top order. For Karun Nair, the journey has been more turbulent — a mix of brilliant highs and heartbreaking detours.

Karun Nair’s moment in the spotlight came in 2016. Playing only his third Test, he etched his name into cricketing history with a sublime triple century against England — a feat only one Indian before him, Virender Sehwag, had achieved. He became only the second Indian to do so, and the first to convert his maiden Test century into a triple hundred.

And yet, instead of being a springboard, it became a ceiling. He was dropped soon after and, with little explanation, drifted out of the national setup. For a player who had showcased such extraordinary potential, the fall was abrupt, and his cricketing future uncertain.

But Karun Nair took it in the right stride and years in the wilderness didn’t dim his fire. He returned to domestic cricket with renewed hunger, eventually finding success with Vidarbha — guiding them to a championship and proving once again that class is permanent. A tweet he sent out, almost like a plea — "Dear cricket, give me one more chance" — went viral, echoing the sentiments of fans who hadn’t forgotten that iconic 303 not out.

He began to show glimpses of his form in the Indian Premier League and followed it up with a brilliant 204-run knock for India A against the England Lions — a timely reminder of his ability to build innings under pressure.

Earlier in May, the call finally came. Karun Nair was back in the Indian Test squad. But the start, however, wasn’t ideal. Across six innings, he managed just 131 runs, with a best of 41. Critics began to murmur, questions resurfaced. But the team management held faith.

That faith was rewarded in the fifth Test at The Oval. Walking in under pressure, Karun Nair crafted a composed, unbeaten 52 off 98 balls — a knock full of grit and maturity. With the team in a precarious position, his partnerships with Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, and Washington Sundar steadied the ship. India ended the day at 204/6, thanks largely to his calm at the crease.

It may not have been another triple ton, but for Karun Nair, it meant just as much — a reminder to himself and the world that he still belonged.

What makes Karun Nair’s journey even more remarkable is what came before cricket.

Born prematurely with weak lungs, young Karun Nair had a difficult start to life. His parents, Kaladharan and Prema, enrolled him in cricket not for fame or fortune, but to help him build physical strength.

"He had a few health issues as a child,” his father once revealed. “His lung capacity was weak. So doctors advised physical activity — that’s why we took him to the ground.”

It was a medical suggestion that would unknowingly chart the course of a cricketing life.

One of the more dramatic — and lesser-known — chapters of Karun’s life occurred off the field.

Just after making his ODI debut in 2016, his family organised a religious puja at the Sree Parthasarathy temple in Kerala. En route by a traditional snake boat on the Pampa River, the boat suddenly capsized.

Karun didn’t know how to swim. Stranded without a life jacket, he could’ve easily become a tragic headline. But fortune — or perhaps divine intervention — spared him.

“I panicked,” he admitted later. “But thankfully, people on the boat knew I couldn’t swim and they helped me.”