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Karun Nair made a case for his selection in India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad by scoring 779 runs in nine matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Vidarbha.
Karun Nair scored 779 runs in nine matches of Vijay Hazare Trophy for Vidarbha. (Picture Credit: Screengrab)
Karun Nair was in red-hot form for Vidarbha in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the 2024-25 edition of the premier domestic 50-over tournament, the 33-year-old right-handed batter played nine matches for Vidarbha, and with the help of five centuries and one fifty, scored 779 runs. He finished the tournament as the leading run scorer, and his batting average was 389.50. Nair’s performances with the bat made him a contender for a place in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad, but he failed to get a place in the 15-member squad announced by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma in Mumbai on Saturday (January 18).
Nair’s absence from the Champions Trophy squad despite being in the form of his life was criticised by many fans and former greats of the game. Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lashed out at the selectors for Nair and questioned whether there’s any point of scoring runs in domestic cricket when performing players are not being selected.
But former Indian captain and legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar backed the selector’s call and explained why Nair’s snub from the 15-member squad makes sense.
“Where should they fit him? You could have taken the spot of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. KL will perform the role of second wicketkeeper-batter for this team, and his performance during the 2023 World Cup was good. I don’t think the Indian cricket team has played much ODI cricket after that. Shreyas Iyer has also performed well in the format. That is why Karun Nair has not been picked,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
“If his form during the Ranji Trophy remains the same, then it will be hard for Team India to not pick him during the upcoming Test tour of England,” he added.
During the squad announcement press conference, Agarkar was also asked about Nair’s absence from the squad, to which he said, “Yeah, it is tough. Those are really special performances. I mean, someone who averages 700-plus, 750-plus (before the Vijay Hazare final). We did have a chat (about Karun). But at the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult. I mean, look at the guys who’ve been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s. So, unfortunately, you can’t fit everyone in. It’s a squad of 15. But those performances (like Karun’s) certainly make you take notice.”
