Kozhikode: Though born and brought up outside Kerala, Karun Nair had always kept an affinity towards his home state. The triple-centurion, who turned his debut century into a triple century, the second player in the world to do, was a regular visitor to Chengannur in Alappuzha, the home town of his parents, Kaladharan Nair and Prema. However, he had a narrow shave during the last time he visited Kerala. He was on a visit to a festival at the Sree Parthasarathy temple in Chengannur on a snake boat and the boat capsized. The Karnataka player did not know swimming and the local people swung into action to his rescue.
Born in Jodhpur in Rajasthan, he always had a special feeling for his counterparts in Kerala. “He is a genuine person. He has the talent and it was evident from junior category. We have played several games against him. However, we used to spend time with him after the matches. I am happy about his achievement,” said Sachin Baby, Kerala Ranji Trophy player. His mother describes him as a player who learnt his tricks at first from the streets.
Kaladharan Nair and Prema Kaladharan- Karun’s parents
“He was born prematurely and his doctors advised us to make him engaged in physical activities. We used to let him play the game in the streets. Later we found a knack in him and he started his professional career,” she said. “This is a life-time achievement for him. This is a great moment for us. We were nervous throughout his innings. His first two matches went badly. Normally my wife does not watch Karun’s matches because she will get tensed. But this time I pressured her to come and he hit a triple,” said his father, an irrigation engineer.
