Triple centurion Karun Nair opens up about recent stardom

Karun Nair has been one of the standout performers in recent times with the bat. Of course, as the world knows, the 25-year old Karun Nair has been the most recent triple centurion in Test cricket and perhaps one of the first few people who has gone on to impress with some tremendous shots as well as some impressive stroke-making. In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, Karun Nair revealed the aftermath of his unbeaten 303 against the English at Chepauk.

When asked about the same, Karun Nair stated that the ordeal had not sunk in yet and that it probably in the next few months as well. “I don’t think it has sunk in yet. 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 (Ranji) now. Over the next few days, I will probably have time to think about it.”

When asked about how he paced his innings, Nair said, “The most important thing was to get 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 got past 200, there were a minimum set of overs given to us because they wanted to give England a bat that evening. Even before we reached those overs, I was at the 280-mark. They were kind enough to allow me to take my time to get to 300. I’m thankful to Virat and the team management for showing that patience.”

Nair also went on to reveal how he prepared himself for each game. “Preparation was the same. When you don’t get runs in the first two games, you start thinking and doubting yourself. Luckily for me, I was calm because I knew I was playing well. I have to admit that at the beginning of my innings in Chennai, I felt a bit of pressure.”

The 25-year old also revealed that he was not one to show much emotion. “I don’t show emotion but it is all building up inside. I think, for me, the best way to let out those emotions is to spend time in the middle and try to use those emotions to motivate myself further.”

Nair concluded by speaking about the impact made by his skipper Virat Kohli. “It is very important to have a captain like that. A person who kind of pushes you to be like him or motivates you because he is so happy for you. That’s when you really want to return that gesture with a good performance. When your captain is leading from the front and being so positive it brings the team together. That’s the best thing about Virat. He leads by example.”