Karn's career comes full circle in Nagpur

NAGPUR: Life has come full circle for Karn Sharma. Two years ago, he was struggling. He wasn't the part of Railways Ranji Trophy side and was also axed from their one-day squad.
He had been part of Royal Challengers Bangalore but didn't get much opportunity. Then came a lifeline -the BCCI's under-22 tournament turned into an under-25 tournament, and Karn was included in the Railways 'A' side.
Sharma grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He began with a bang, bagging 11 wickets for 119 runs in the opening match against Vidarbha in Nagpur. He claimed 48 wkts at an average of 15.6 in seven matches, inclusive of four five-wicket and two ten-wicket hauls in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy.
His performances earned him the MA Chidambaram Trophy in the under-25 category and forced Railways selectors to take a look at him again. Sharma was included in the Ranji squad and took 21 wickets in three matches. He hasn't look back since. His performances caught the eye of Sunrisers Hyderabad and for the last two years Sharma has been integral part of the IPL franchise.
"No doubt that tournament was a lifeline for me. Incidentally, I started the journey from Nagpur and have now got the news of my Test call-up here. It's great to be selected for Tests. It's the ultimate format. Every cricketer dreams of donning whites for his country and I am no different.
"However, I am not thinking too much about it. I don't want to put unnecessary pressure on myself. I will take each match at a time. At the moment, I am focusing on the last two One-dayers," Sharma told TOI after his match-winning performance (3-47 & 32*) against Madhya Pradesh in the Central Zone Vijay Hazare tournament here on Monday.