India's legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh has indirectly slammed BCCI for the non-selection of Karun Nair in India's Champions Trophy 2025. Harbhajan said that there is no point of playing domestic cricket when one doesn't get selected based on form and performances. He directly questioned the significance of domestic cricket in India after selectors overlooked Karun Nair. Nair while captaining Vidarbha enjoyed an exceptional Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer. He amassed 779 runs in eight innings at an impressive average of 389.50 and a strike rate of 124.04, including five centuries and a half-century. Before final, he clocked an insane batting average of 742.
Nair's outstanding performance garnered significant attention which fanned the speculation around his potential selection in Champions Trophy squad. However, all his efforts went in vain and he was yet again snubbed.
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Following this snub, Harbhajan questioned the purpose of domestic cricket if selectors do not consider player performances at this level when selecting national teams.
“Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don’t pick players based on form & performance?,” Harbhajan wrote on his X account.
Nair made his debut for the Indian cricket team during the five-match Test series against England in 2016. He bagged a historic feat by becoming only the second Indian batsman to score a triple century in his third Test match. However, Nair struggled to maintain this form in his subsequent Test matches. He failed to produce consistent performances in his next three Tests, ultimately losing his place in the team after the England tour of 2018.
Captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar turned up for the press conference to announce India's Champions Trophy 2025. Agarkar was even asked about Nair's absence from the squad to which he first acknowledged his stunning batting and then clearly said that it's tough to accommodate the Vidarbha captain in India's ODI fold. However, he indicated that Nair will be considered as a potential replacement if any player loses form or sustains an injury before or during the Champions Trophy.
“I mean, those are really special performances and I mean someone who averages about 700+, 750 + or something, we did have a chat, no doubt about it, when those kind of performances happen. At the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult. Look at the guys who have been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s. Unfortunately, you can't fit everyone in a squad of 15. But those performances certainly make you take notice. If there is a loss of form (for a player) or injuries, there's certainly going to be a conversation around him,” Agarkar said in the press conference.
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