Pampa river

After Moeen Ali: "Dear cricket, give me one more chance": On December 10, 2022, Karun Nair pleaded with the cricketing gods for him to get one more opportunity to play in the Indian national team. Over two-and-a-half years later, he has been recalled into the Test setup for a date with destiny, after being out of the Test squad for nearly 3000 days, and that too for India's tour of England, the toughest challenge for any overseas batter.

The 33-year-old batter, however, is not one to stand down in the face of adversity.

With a story unlike many others, Nair made his Test debut in the third Test against England in Mohali in 2016, just a few months after he faced a near-death accident in July 2016, when a snake boat carrying approximately 100 people capsized in the Pampa River in Kerala during a temple festival.