“We Googled him!” remarked Jonathan Chandler, chairman and opening batter for Burbage & Easton Royal Cricket Club. The shock of having a Test cricketer joining their ranks was palpable—photo credit: Emma Chandler Photography ©Cricbuzz
On December 10, 2022, Karun Nair was at home in Bengaluru celebrating his wife Sanaya’s birthday modestly with friends. During the evening, he checked his phone and discovered that he had not been selected for the Karnataka squad. This news abruptly turned the joy of the evening into a personal setback, leading Nair to tweet, ‘Dear Cricket, give me one more chance’ with a crossed finger emoji.
Nair, India’s Test cap No. 287, had participated in six of his seven Tests at the age of 25 between 2016 and 2017, amassing 374 runs, including a memorable 303 in one innings against England. However, by December 2022, he had not been part of the national squad for over four years, and he wasn’t even selected for his state side during what should have been the peak of his career.
The past few years had been tumultuous for Nair. He faced financial and emotional pressures from his growing family, prompting discussions about alternative career paths. Nevertheless, Nair remained determined, believing that the skills that took him to Test cricket could revive his career. This setback deeply affected his routine and identity as a cricketer.
Nair sought to reconnect with the love for the game, craving a change of environment away from the pressures of top-level Indian cricket. Entering the second division of the West of England Premier League, he caught the attention of Burbage & Easton Royal’s management, who were astonished to hear a Test player was considering joining them.
The real test was whether Nair would actually join the team, depending on the outcome of the IPL season, where he was a late injury replacement for KL Rahul. Fortunately, after the Lucknow Super Giants were eliminated from the tournament, Nair made his way to Wiltshire. Chandler, who picked him up from the airport and supported him during his initial days, found that the low-profile setting was exactly what Nair needed.
Though it took time for Nair to adjust, and he faced challenges like adapting to different diets and cooking, he quickly became a key figure for Burbage & Easton Royal. By the end of the season, he had scored two centuries and taken 15 wickets. Despite needing to leave Burbage for a leadership role in the Maharaja T20 League, he maintained strong ties with the club, returning to the UK later as a county cricketer for Northamptonshire and eventually making a remarkable comeback to the Indian Test squad.
