logo
‘Life has come full circle in England': Comeback man Karun Nair ahead of first ENG vs IND Test

‘Life has come full circle in England': Comeback man Karun Nair ahead of first ENG vs IND Test

Indian Express20-06-2025
When India takes on England in the first Test at Headingley in Leeds, it will also potentially mark the end of an eight-year wait for Karun Nair to make a comeback into the national side. The middle-order batter believes his life has 'come to a full cricle' after having been dropped from the Indian Test team in England to making a comeback in England after eight long years.
'Life has come a full circle because I went out of the team in England and now I'm coming back into the team in England. So it's been a while and I'm trying to embrace that,' said Nair ahead of the first Test to BCCI.tv. The Karnataka batter who now represents Vidarbha in the domestic circuit, justified his India call-up after scoring a double century for India A in the unofficial Test against England Lions in Canterbury.
'My first thought when I woke up was I want to play Test cricket, I want to play for India again. That's probably what kept me going and kept me hungry. The driving force, go to training every day, go to practice every day. I had a goal of I want to play Test cricket again and I was always looking at playing Test cricket and every day, every morning I used to wake up thinking what should I do to reach that goal,' said Nair.
Nair is expected to fill the void in the middle-order after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from this format last month.
'Never losing that belief and having that target to reach was something that helped me. Feeling honoured to wear this jersey and honoured to be representing my country. When I saw everyone for the first time, that's when I really, you know, felt it that I'm finally in the team. Till then it was like a wait for me to kind of start feeling like I've made it again. It's been a few years, I used to always watch everyone on TV, now to be back again in this dressing room feels amazing. You know, getting that first session under the belt was relief, grateful to get that opportunity,' he said.
An emotional yet confident Nair said he is now more forgiving of himself and more patient in life. 'Enjoying the feeling of being with everyone. Enjoying the feeling of wearing this jersey. Just going out there and having fun with everyone in the group and trying our best to win games for our country. Mentally, I'm more patient and I'm more forgiving of myself. I've learnt to enjoy small things a little more. You know, not trying to be someone that I'm not. I've always tried to keep it very simple. Always think about the positive and have certain goals in mind, visualise thing and have real belief in what you visualise,' he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee kickstarts 134th Durand Cup with grand ceremony
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee kickstarts 134th Durand Cup with grand ceremony

India Today

time23 minutes ago

  • India Today

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee kickstarts 134th Durand Cup with grand ceremony

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the historic 134th edition of the Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament, with a spectacular opening ceremony at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. This year's event comes with the prize money being increased almost three times, with the winners taking home a whopping 3 crore who traditionally launches this iconic tournament, was back this year after missing season's event due to official duties in Delhi. She formally kicked off the tournament by taking a symbolic shot at the ball, and joined at the event by Sports Minister Aroop Biswas, Fire Minister Sujit Bose, and Minister of State for Sports Manoj Tiwary, along with senior Indian Army West Bengal Chief Minister spoke about the rich history of the Durand Cup, one of the oldest football tournaments in the world, which was first held in 1888. Banerjee also said she was proud to see four teams from Kolkata take part in the tournament this year. 'Especially since it began in Bengal, and this time, four teams from Bengal are participating, we are proud,' she however, didn't entertain any questions about the Indian Super League, which has been put on hold at the moment. 'Please don't ask me about that here. This is not the right place.'The opening ceremony saw a flypast by three Indian army helicopters, and also featured dancers performing to a song written by Mamata Banerjee herself. Various army divisions showcased diverse dance forms like Bhangra, Rabindra Nritya, and the Khukuri dance during the ceremony as well. A total of 24 teams will take part in the tournament this year, along with two teams from Nepal and Malaysia. The final of the tournament will take place on August 23 Durand Cup 2025: Teams and groupsGroup A: East Bengal FC, Indian Air Force FT, Namdhari FC, South United FCGroup B: Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mohammedan SC, Diamond Harbour FC, Border Security Force FTGroup C: Jamshedpur FC, Tribhuvan Army FT, Indian Army FT, 1 Ladakh FCGroup D: Punjab FC, ITBP FT, Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC, Bodoland FCGroup E: Shillong Lajong FC, NorthEast United FC, Malaysian Armed Forces, Rangdajied United FCGroup F: TRAU FC, NEROCA FC, Real Kashmir FC, Indian Navy FT- Ends

'I just need some sleep and food': Divya Deshmukh's first reaction after making history at FIDE World Cup
'I just need some sleep and food': Divya Deshmukh's first reaction after making history at FIDE World Cup

First Post

time23 minutes ago

  • First Post

'I just need some sleep and food': Divya Deshmukh's first reaction after making history at FIDE World Cup

Divya Deshmukh created history by becoming the first Indian to reach the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 final after defeating China's Tan Zhongyi. The 19-year-old also secured a spot in the Women's Candidates Tournament thanks to the win. read more Divya Deshmukh made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian to reach the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025. The 19-year-old International Master defeated China's Tan Zhongyi 1.5-0.5 in the semifinals to secure her place in the summit clash. With this achievement, Divya has also qualified for next year's prestigious Women's Candidates Tournament. Divya's reaction after historic win After the intense match, Divya was almost at a loss for words. 'Thank you so much for all your love and support. I don't really have much to say. My thoughts are not clear right now,' she said. 'I need some sleep. These days have been so anxious. I just need some sleep and some food,' she added with a smile, looking exhausted after a gruelling victory. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Right after her win, 🇮🇳 Divya Deshmukh thanks her fans — and says all she needs now is 'some sleep… and some food.' 😄#FIDEWorldCup @DivyaDeshmukh05 — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 23, 2025 The Indian youngster sealed her place in the final after winning with white pieces in Game 2 of the semifinal clash. The first game had ended in a draw where Divya played with black pieces. Divya's journey to the final has been nothing short of spectacular. She first shocked China's Zhu Jiner with a 2.5-1.5 win in the fourth round. She then defeated Indian Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli in the quarterfinals, winning 3-1 after back-to-back draws in the classical games. There is still a chance for an all-Indian final. Grandmaster Koneru Humpy is facing China's top seed Lei Tingjie in the other semifinal. The two have drawn both their classical games and will now play tie-breaks on Thursday to decide the second finalist. If Humpy wins, it will be a historic moment for Indian chess with two Indians contesting the FIDE Women's World Cup final. Divya will now get a two-day break before her final game. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Day 1, Old Trafford: How Rishabh Pant's toe injury gave England a leg in the door
Day 1, Old Trafford: How Rishabh Pant's toe injury gave England a leg in the door

Indian Express

time23 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Day 1, Old Trafford: How Rishabh Pant's toe injury gave England a leg in the door

As Rishabh Pant sat on the golf-cart turned ambulance with a swollen right foot, a question loomed over Old Trafford, along with the dark clouds. How will India tread through the final hour of play on Day 1? The score at that point was 213/3, the honours were even. But with the most consistent Indian batsman on the tour gone, England captain Ben Stokes saw this as an opportunity to get his leg in the door. He did very soon. Six overs later the last of India's specialist, Sai Sudharsan pulled a short ball from Stokes into the hands of fine-leg. The cat and mouse contest for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy continues. India had a foot ahead till Pant was hit flush on his right toe by England's hero of the day Chris Woakes. At stumps, India would finish at 264/4. On crease were the two all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur. Both were on 19, both looking comfortable against the tired England attack. This was a hard day's work for both the batsmen and bowlers. Once again the most-repeated 'end of the day' summation on this series—the first hour tomorrow would be crucial—echoed around the storied ground. This game too has the opening of a gripping drama. The pitch is no sleeping beauty, this is no batting paradise, the spinners are getting turn, pacers the bounce. The 'Theatre of Dreams', the home of footballers that has the same name, is round the corner. But cricket's Old Trafford too might throw up a game of gravitas. On the very first day, a fairytale almost unfolded. Sudharsan getting into the playing XI here wasn't a popular decision. Experts have believed that he shouldn't have replaced Karun Nair, who should have been given one more game. But those in the know say that it was captain Shubman Gill who backed Sudharsan. No one has seen India's new No.3 as closely as Shubman. They are opening partners at Gujarat Titans. The two have spent long hours on the field and months together during the IPL. Familiarity doesn't always breed contempt, it also can generate awe. Once during the IPL, Shubman had spoken about Sudharsan's special talent. 'It's easy to swing freely on good cement wickets, but real skill lies in reading conditions, assessing the situation.' The coaches at GT also talk about the potential of the star batsman who plays even IPL like Tests. Assistant coach Nadeem Amin, talking to this paper about Shubman, had diverted the topic towards the other GT opener. That was during the Lord's Test. 'He may be out now but look out for the boy, his appetite for runs is as much as Shubman. Just wait till he gets a game.' So when he got the game, the initiation was relatively easy. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal had put on 94 runs and the English pace bowlers had lost the first hour to India. Sudharsan too looked like he was going to make this opportunity count. In the first innings of the only Test he had played in England at Headingley, Sudharsan got out edging an angled ball on the leg-stump to the wicket-keeper. Stokes doesn't usually forget such weak spots in his rivals. So he immediately went round-the-wicket to the left-hander and bowl from the corner of the crease. The ploy almost worked, Sudharsan edged a ball but the wicket-keeper Jamie Smith failed to grab it. This was the lucky break the batsman returning to the team wanted. A big part of Sudharsan's batting is his wrists. There is a tiny bit of Virat Kohli in his drives. He rolls his wrists over the ball, like a competent table-tennis player hitting a top-spinner. He is also quick to jump on balls that are marginally short as he crouches and slaps them to square leg. This too isn't a straight tight slap but more of a subtle pat, again with the help of his wrists. Sudharsan's county stint also prepared him to negotiate the English conditions, the kind India encountered for the first time on this tour. In the few games he played for Surrey, the left-hander learned to relax and give importance to the technical aspects of the game. 'As a batsman, when you are juggling between formats, I believe only the mindset should change, not your game … There is a big shift tactically. When I go to England, I have to leave a lot more balls than I usually do,' he had told The Indian Express. It is the wrists that manipulate the ball into the gaps, making it difficult for the captain to set a field. When he was in the company of Pant, another batsman with a knack of hitting the ball in unguarded areas, it seemed England were in trouble. The two were toying with the bowlers, India seemed set for a long partnership. England were losing the grip and then came the twist. Pant got carried away and to a smartly bowled slow yorker, he attempted a predetermined reverse sweep. He was beaten by the pace and trajectory. He missed the ball and it hit him on the toe. There were worried faces in the Indian dressing room as the pain on Pant's face hinted at the seriousness of the injury. By late evening the word from the Indian camp was that Pant had gone for scans and the BCCI medical team was 'monitoring his progress'. India's key player's left finger hadn't yet fully healed and now he gets a blow on his right foot. A bigger question looms: How will India limp on the last leg of this tough tour if Pant is ruled out of the series?

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store