A prominent Indian cricketer had told me to retire: Karun Nair

Karun Nair recently made a much-awaited comeback to the Indian Test team for the impending five-match Test series against England. Consistent performances in the domestic circuit have paved the way for his second stint in the longest format of the game.

Ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy,  Nair revealed that a prominent Indian cricketer once advised him to retire and focus on playing in franchise T20 leagues, where there is a great deal of financial security. The Vidarbha batter, however, didn't let the discouragement deter his spirits as he kept on working hard and proving doubters wrong with his bat in domestic cricket.

"I still remember a prominent Indian cricketer calling me and saying you need to retire because the money in these leagues would make me secure. It would have been easy to do, but I knew that regardless of the money, I would be kicking myself for giving up that easily," Nair said in an interview with the Daily Mail, recalling the incident from two years ago.

Nair said that he was adamant not to give up on his ambitions of representing India once again, as he knew he had the skill set to play at the highest level. 

"I was never going to give up on playing for India again. That was just over two years ago, and look where we are now. It's crazy but deep down, I knew I was good enough," he added.

The Jodhpur-born made his international debut against England in November 2016. In his third Test appearance, against the Three Lions, Nair slammed a belligerent 303 not out off 381 balls in Chennai. However, he could only play three more games after this stunning knock and subsequently got dropped. In six Tests, Nair averages 62.33. He has also represented Indian in two T20Is.

Last month, he began his tour of England with a double century for India A in an unofficial Test against the England Lions in Canterbury. This was a gentle reminder to the selectors that he is ready to start in the Test series against Ben Stokes and Co.