New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Amidst the bevy of Indian batters aiming to get big runs in IPL 2025, all eyes of cricket connoisseurs will be on how Karun Nair fares for the Delhi Capitals, especially after being a literal run-machine in the recent domestic season for Vidarbha.
Nair made 863 runs at an average of 53.93, including 86 and 135 in the Ranji Trophy final against Kerala to help Vidarbha secure their third title. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was named Player of the Tournament after amassing 779 runs, including hitting five centuries. If this wasn’t enough, Nair was Vidarbha’s leading run-getter with 255 runs at a strike rate of 177.08, including three fifties.
With pitches in Visakhapatnam and Delhi being conducive for dazzling strokeplay and promising big runs for batters, Nair remarked his focus on excelling on flat surfaces in both of DC’s home venues will be on following the way he prepares and plays, just like how he did in the domestic season.
“My focus only is about understanding my game a little more for this tournament and team. Like what I should be doing in my own way, not trying to be someone else, and trying to play the way that I know and prepare in the same way.”
“Obviously, you have to keep the strike rates up and play according to the situation, which is really important. So, quite simple actually. I have not really thought about it so deeply. It’s just about reacting to the ball coming at you,” said Nair while responding to an IANS query in a round-table chat organised by the franchise on Sunday.
A lot has changed for Nair from the time when he was in the DC set-up in 2015 & 2016. He had a quirky response to what is different from those years to now. “Just being a little older I would say and knowing my game a little more. Other than that, I don’t think anything much has changed. Obviously, it was Delhi Daredevils back then and now it’s Delhi Capitals. But my focus and intention to win games for the team is the same.”
Coming back to DC also gives Nair an opportunity to reunite with his Bengaluru bestie KL Rahul. “Obviously, we’ve played cricket since childhood. We started together at the same time and it’ll be good to have him. We share a great bond and really looking forward to meeting him and understanding how he prepares for the game now these days.”
“Obviously, he’s had a great Champions Trophy and he’s had a lot of good seasons in the IPL as well. So, I will be trying to watch and learn from him and how he prepares and how he does well in the games,” he added.
He also had some views on Axar Patel being made the DC skipper. “Axar has been around for a long time now, and he is going to be a great captain. He is someone who knows all the facets of the game, and understands everyone’s situation and roles. He will be versatile like he is always. (I’m) looking forward to meet him, and know a lot of things.”
Since IPL 2019, Nair has played only eight IPL games for Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, but he insists there aren’t any individual goals in his kitty in the DC set-up. “There’s no personal targets as such. I want to keep it simple. I want to stay relaxed and I want to just react to whatever I’m dealt in that situation. So, again, it’s all about how ready you are. I feel I’m ready and will be trying to take the confidence from the season that I’ve had into the IPL.”
The last two years have been prolific for Nair, whose last appearance for India came in 2017, before going through a period of lows, which resulted in a change of domestic team from Karnataka to Vidarbha. But now, with highs on his side, Nair reflected on what living with highs and lows have taught him.
“I’ve been playing cricket for a while. It’s always about ups and downs and how you come back and get up from those downs and how you treat the ups. So I’ve learnt quite a bit of myself and how to react to those situations. Obviously it’s been a tough time.”
“But it’s something that has helped me to bring myself to the stage and which will always be with me to help me in whatever stage that I reach, as well as to push me to have more motivation and more hunger all the time. Those times have really helped me in those aspects and which I really think has brought me to this stage.”
“It’s helped me in the last two years. I’ve really got the motivation and the hunger to treat each game as one game at a time, and make sure that I make the most of every single opportunity I get. As long as you’re doing well, you have to be prepared for the highs. I guess I should be prepared for whatever comes – highs or lows. I’m not thinking too much about it. Just trying to prepare well at the moment.”
There was even a tweet of him which went viral – of requesting cricket to give him another chance and thus far, Nair has made it count in such a way that he even got a mention from chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Even as Nair prepares for taking IPL 2025 by storm, the motivation to play for India again still exists highly in his mindspace.
“Well, at least I think I’m closer rather than further. But I don’t know how close I am. But again, that’s not something that’s my only focus. Obviously, it’s at the back of the mind. But the only focus at the moment right now is to prepare well and, you know, understand what I need to be doing in the IPL and contribute in every game that I play.”
“Mindset is to be as relaxed as possible and to start every tournament well and keep that process going. Whatever I find in the first few games, try and keep that same momentum and keep getting better from there and use the same process. So, that will be the same even now, trying to find my own rhythm in this tournament.”
“If I find it, keep it and get better at it. There is only one motivation and that is to play for India. This is what is there in the back of the mind and I’m trying to do everything that I can do for that to happen. I have to score runs for that consistently. So, in every game, I’m trying to utilize every opportunity that I get,” he concluded.
–IANS
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