As Sports Tak reported earlier, Karun Nair has been overlooked once again and has been included in either of the squads for Champions Trophy 2025 and ODI series against England despite his run-fest in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-2025.
Karun Nair overlooked in India's Champions Trophy squad
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma turned up for the press conference to announce India's squads for both Champions Trophy and ODI series against England. Speculations were rife that Vidarbha captain Karun Nair might end up earning a recall in India's ODI set-up but unfortunately despite run riot with the bat in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he wasn't awarded. The 33-year-old has amassed a colossal 752 runs in a total of seven innings with a staggering average of 752 as he has been dismissed just once in the tournament. He is the main reason behind catapulting Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final where they are facing Karnataka for the coveted title.
Meanwhile, India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the rationale behind not picking Nair in India's Champions Trophy or ODI squad. He said that the selection committee had a chat about Nair but they think it's difficult to fit in everyone in this squad. However, they hinted that he could be considered if there is any injury in the team.
“We had a chat about Karun Nair. But it’s difficult to fit in everyone in this squad. If there’s an injury, there could be a discussion around him,” Agarkar said in the press conference in Mumbai on January 18.
Earlier, Sports Tak the same on January 17 that BCCI will not pick Nair in India's squad for the marquee tournament. Reason being, there is no weak link in India's ODI set-up as of now as per the selectors. However, India put on a disappointing show in the recent Test series, both against New Zealand and Australia. But to accommodate Karun Nair BCCI will need to find a weak link in India's ODI set-up which they are finding it difficult to find right now. The selectors reportedly believe that recalling the 33-year-old won't be a wise call.
Karun Nair's run-spree in Vijay Hazare Trophy
With only two ODIs played in 2016 during a tour of Zimbabwe, Nair was in a bid to find a spot in India's current ODI team but his hopes were dashed with the team's announcement.
Karun Nair is in form of his life in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Vidarbha skipper has mustered 752 runs in just seven innings at a mind boggling average of 752. This includes five centuries with scores of 112, 44, 163, 111, 112, 122, and 88, with only one dismissal. Not just this, Nair has also shattered Ruturaj Gaikwad's all-time record of 660 runs which the latter accumulated in in the 2022–23 season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With this Nair has become captain with the most runs in a single edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Not just Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair has been performing consistently good in the domestic cricket. In the 2024-25 Maharaja T20 Trophy, he amassed 560 runs in 12 matches at an impressive average of 56.00. This impressive tally includes one century and five half-centuries, with a highest score of 124. Nair's dominance extended to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored 255 runs at an average of 42.50, including three half-centuries at a strike rate of 177. But end of the day none of these could ensure his spot in India's fold, let alone Test.
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
India’s squad for ODI series against England
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja