Dream is still alive to play for India: Karun Nair hopeful after bull run in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Karun Nair's remarkable cricket comeback with five centuries in Vijay Hazare Trophy sparks hope for India return.

After a prolonged wait on the sidelines and a melancholic social media post nearly three years back, Karun Nair has made a sensational reunion with cricket, scoring five hundreds in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy and he is now cautiously optimistic about wearing the Indian jersey after eight years.

Karun, who has scored 752 runs at a mind-blowing average of 752 for Vidarbha, now looks hungry for runs, and is a far cry from the forlorn player who scribbled: "Dear Cricket, please give me another chance."

Will that opportunity come his way when the selectors announce India's ODI squads for the home one-dayers against England and the ICC Champions Trophy? Only time will tell, but he has good reasons to "dream." "The dream is always to play for the country. So, yes, the dream is still alive. That's the reason we play this game, to play for your country. So, the one and only goal was to play for the country," Karun told PTI.

But as someone who has endured massive setbacks and near-misses in his career, Karun does not want to think too far ahead.

"I think this is my third comeback (laughs). And I need to keep doing what I am doing at the moment. Keep scoring runs whenever I can in every single game that I play. That's the most that I can do. Everything else is not in my control.

"But till it (selection) happens, it's just a dream. It's still not there yet. But again, like I said, I would like to focus on one innings at a time," the 33-year-old said.

So, what has he done differently from the past to get back to his run-making ways?