EXCLUSIVE: Karun Nair keeps mum on Prasidh Krishna’s injury, highlights Samit Dravid’s preparation ahead of Maharaja T20 Trophy

Mysore Warriors captain and leading run-scorer of Maharaja T20 Trophy 2023, Karun Nair is optimistic about going the distance and clinching the trophy in the upcoming edition. Last year, the team had a brilliant run and qualified for the final but fell short by just eight runs on the big night. They have added more guns to strengthen the squad this year and one such inclusion is young Samit Dravid, who signed his first franchise contract this year.

Being the son of legendary cricketer Rahul Dravid, there’s pressure on the 18-year-old. He had a stunning time in the Cooch Behar Trophy, in which, the youngster scored 362 runs in eight matches and also made an impact with the ball, picking up 16 wickets. Tracking his development, Mysore signed him for INR 50,000 in the auction but his place in the playing XI isn’t guaranteed.

Given that pace-bowling all-rounders are rare in the country, Samit is likely to get an early push. Speaking about his development, Nair stated that he has done well in the practice camp and is happy with his progress and that of other youngsters, and added that there’s pressure on every cricketer to perform and Samit falls in the same category.

“There’s pressure on everyone to perform. It’s the same for anyone who plays this game at this level. So excited to see him (Samit) do well whenever he gets the opportunity. He has been doing really well in the camp and in whatever practice matches we have had or in the nets. Really excited about everyone. Not only him. We have a good bunch of youngsters and senior players. We are looking good and everyone’s excited,” Nair told CricTracker during Mysore Warrior’s ‘team introduction and jersey unveiling’ event.

The captain also refused to comment on Prasidh Krishna’s fitness. The ace India pacer underwent surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon in February and missed the IPL in 2024. He has been named in Mysore’s squad for the T20 league but Nair isn’t sure when he’ll be featuring in the playing XI.

“We have no update on him. We have 19 players and that’s all we can talk about,” said Nair.

Nair also expressed his desire to lead by example once again. Last year, he made 532 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 162.69 and finished as the leading run-scorer and hopes to repeat that again but for him, the most important bit is to win the tournament. He wants to see Mysore do well and get the trophy back to Mysore.

“I’ll have to follow the same process as last year. Try and do the same things and become the leading run-scorer again - that will be amazing but more importantly, I want the team to do well. Get to the finals like last year and if we have the opportunity, go that one step further and bring the trophy back to Mysore,” the 32-year-old said.

The tournament is a great stepping stone for all Karnataka players: Nair

The Maharaja T20 League has given the platform to the young Karnataka players to share the dressing room with players like Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, and K Gowtham and groom themselves to become better players. Devdutt Padikkal and Vijaykumar Vyshak have gained significant experience from the league and have done well for themselves to earn IPL contracts.

Noting that, Nair talked about the impact this tournament had on local players and also termed it to be one of the best tournaments in India. He thanked KSCA for allowing players to soak in the pressure and perform at the highest level.

“It’s a great tournament. It’s a great stepping stone for all Karnataka players. Really thankful to KSCA for organizing this. It’s one of the best tournaments in India. So many players get the opportunity to play under pressure, play under lights. It’s a great opportunity, a great experience for young players who are coming through to step on the stage and get recognized,” Nair said.