Karan Lamba, who announced himself with an unbeaten century on his Ranji Trophy debut in 2023, last played for Rajasthan in the competition in February 2024. He marked his return to the side with an unbeaten 103 against Tamil Nadu here on Sunday.

The 21-year-old said he continued to focus on his performances in the u-23 circuit during his two-year absence from the Ranji side, knowing that an opportunity could come at any time.

“I focused on my game and tried to perform as consistently as possible in u-23 cricket. You never know when selectors might pick you, so I never took any match lightly. The only thing was that the u-23 matches do not get as much live coverage, so you are not always in the limelight. But I believe that if you perform well, the selectors keep an eye on you, irrespective of the level you play at,” he said.

Karan was Rajasthan’s highest run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last season. He said it gave him the confidence that a Ranji opportunity would follow. “I felt I had established my place and felt I would get an opportunity the following season. That allowed me to focus on how I could take my game to the next level,” he said.

Karan said he was determined to make the most of Sunday’s good batting surface and convert his start into a substantial score.

“The wicket was very good (for batting), and you rarely get such flat tracks. I wanted to make the most of the opportunity and bat for as long as possible,” he said.