Why Karun Nair Missed Out on India’s Champions Trophy Squad? Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar Answers
By Aayush Pathak in 2 hours
Karun Nair’s incredible performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy weren’t enough to secure him a spot in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Despite being the tournament’s top scorer, the selectors opted to leave the 33-year-old out of the squad.
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar Explains Karun Nair’s Omission
Ajit Agarkar, India’s chief selector, addressed the elephant in the room during the squad announcement. “We had a chat about Karun Nair,” Agarkar said. “But it’s tough to fit everyone into this team. If there’s an injury, we might consider him.”
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav Named in India’s Champions Trophy Squad; Rohit Sharma to Lead
Nair has been in red-hot form, scoring 752 runs in just seven innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His record-breaking run included five centuries and an average of 752, as he was dismissed only once in the tournament. Yet, the Vidarbha skipper didn’t make the cut for either the Champions Trophy squad or the ODI series against England.
Along with Karun Nair, another notable omission has been of Mohammed Siraj. The Indian team went with left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for versitality. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are already in the team as right arm pacers.
Karun’s Stellar Vijay Hazare Season
Nair’s performances have been nothing short of extraordinary. His scores in the Vijay Hazare Trophy read 112, 44, 163, 111, 112, 122, and 88. He also broke Ruturaj Gaikwad’s record for the most runs in a single season. Nair has been consistent during the Maharaja T20 Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
In the Maharaja T20 Trophy, Nair scored 560 runs at an average of 56, including a century. His performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy were equally impressive. He scored 255 runs at a strike rate of 177.
India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
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