Numbers elicit praise from likes of Sachin
NAGPUR: Ironic as it may sound, the buzzword in Indian cricket over the past weeks has been a non-cricketing term – PR. Fan wars on social media, ignited by the debacle in Australia, sparked debates on ‘paid news’ versus authenticity.
With the debate still raging, a post on X went viral on social media on Thursday evening.
Saif Ali Khan Health Update
“Karun Nair has a serious shot at making it to the Indian team if he can afford hiring a PR agency for a while,” said the post.
The witty remark struck a chord, highlighting the one element missing in Nair’s arsenal – a robust social media presence. But in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, it wasn’t PR that spoke for him; it was his bat, loud and clear.
A total of 752 runs, at an unbelievable average of 752 was enough for Nair to trend on X. Social media has been abuzz, with many urging Indian selectors to draft Nair into the Indian squad for the forthcoming England ODI series and the Champions Trophy scheduled in Pakistan and Dubai.
With an unstoppable 88* off just 44 balls on Thursday, Nair, who had been knocking on the selectors’ door, almost broke it in the semifinal. Coming in to bat in the 35th over, the Vidarbha skipper unleashed his magic in the final 15 balls he played in the match, stacking up 55* runs. His ball-by-ball figures read 4, 0, 4, 0, 4, 6, 6, 1, 6, 4, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6. He hit boundaries for fun and toyed with the field at will.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar lauded Nair’s run on Friday. “Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, @karun126. Performances like these don’t just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count,” he posted on X.
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh too was vocal on his Youtube channel, questioning the double standards of selectors. “Different rules for different people… that shouldn’t be the way. When Nair is scoring runs, you need to play him, right? He doesn’t have tattoos, doesn’t wear fancy clothes, is that the reason you’re not picking him? Does he not work hard,” he said.
Some also drew comparisons of Nair’s purple patch with that of VVS Laxman before the stylish batsman was re-drafted in the Indian squad. “When Laxman made a comeback into the Indian team, he made a big statement with 1,400-odd runs. Nair’s stupendous show should be enough for him to launch his comeback,” a post read.
Nair’s super show has rewritten history books too. He now tops the list of most runs as a captain in the Vijay Hazare trophy. He is also set to finish as batsman with highest average in Vijay Hazare history.
Prior to being dismissed for 112 against Uttar Pradesh, Nair had set a new List A record of scoring 542 runs without being dismissed, going past former New Zealand allrounder James Franklin.
