Bengaluru: Shreyas Gopal gets nostalgic when asked about Karun Nair. The two Karnataka cricketers have forged a close bond over the years. So it comes as no surprise that Shreyas took great pride in watching his friend grab the spotlight on Monday.
“I’ve known Karun since the sixth standard, at Frank Antony Public School. We played together for school, college (Jain University), Karnataka and India ‘A’. From those school days to now… it has been a long and wonderful journey. All of us in the Ranji Trophy team were very excited to watch him hit an international triple century,” Shreyas says.
Karun – two years senior to Shreyas in school - was always a dependable batsman. “When we played for FAPS, he would score big in almost every match. If Karun didn’t do well, we were in trouble,” Shreyas states.
The all-rounder describes Karun as a ‘quiet guy’. “He won’t say much unless he really knows you. He is generally a very positive person. He always has a smile on his face, even when he is batting,” the 23-year-old says.
Santosh Menon, secretary, Vultures Cricket Club, has watched Karun’s rise to the top. The batsman had represented the club with distinction, before moving to Jolly Cricketers recently. “This is a proud moment for Karnataka. During his under-14 and under-16 days, Karun was spoken of very highly,” Santosh says.
Even as a child, Karun had a clear vision — to play for India. “From the age of 12, he had a single-point focus. He was not satisfied when he was picked for the Karnataka junior or senior teams. Yes, these were landmark moments, but his ultimate goal was to play international cricket," Santosh states.
