India's legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh has come down heavily on Board of Control for Cricket in India. (BCCI) for continuously overlooking Karun Nair. Harbhajan expressed his disappointment with Team India's selectors for overlooking Karun Nair's consistent performances. Singh questioned the differing standards applied to Nair, hinting that other players are often selected after just a few good games.
Harbhajan Singh tears into BCCI for overlooking Karun Nair
Karun Nair, whose name is still etched in everyone's memory for his terrific triple century in England, has been in exceptional form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. His outstanding performances have propelled Vidarbha into the knockout stages of the tournament.
In six innings, Nair has amassed a colossal 664 runs, riding on five robust centuries, with a stunning strike rate of 120.07. Notably, he has been dismissed only once throughout the tournament, making him leading run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25.
Going by some reports which are doing rounds that selectors are closely monitoring Karun Nair's performance, potentially considering him for selection in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Nair yet again grabbed eyeballs with his batting blitz, this time in Vijay Hazare Trophy, which has garnered great support from fans and cricket pundits.
Harbhajan too has voiced his strong support for Nair's inclusion in the national team. The 44-year-old criticised the selection process, arguing that players are often selected based on their IPL performances while consistently strong domestic performers like Nair are overlooked. He also said that people say Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are out of form and sending them to Ranji, but why a player like Karun Nair, who is excelling in the domestic circuit is being left out again and again.
“I'm looking at his stats. In 2024/25, he played six innings, remained not out in 5, scoring 664 and that was his average. And he's played at a strike rate of 120. And they don't pick him. It's unfair. Many are selected on the basis of just two games; some are just selected on the basis of the IPL. So, why are rules different for him?," Harbhajan said on his You Tube channel.
"People say Rohit and Virat are out of form, and you're sending them to Ranji. But those who are playing Ranji and scoring runs… why are you ignoring them? When will these guys play? They are scoring runs here. I never understood how he was dropped after a triple century. It pains me that no one talks about players like him,” he added.
He doesn't have tattoos, doesn't wear fancy clothes, is that the reason you're not picking him?: Harbhajan Singh
India's two-time World Cup-winner also questioned BCCI to taking Karun Nair to England and not giving him a chance to play. Harbhajan asked that why different rules are for different players.
"He went to England with the team but didn't get a game. For the fifth Test, they actually flew a player from India, I think it was Hanuma Vihari, and he played the Test instead of Nair. Give me the reason for this. Does it make sense? Different rules for different people… that shouldn't be the way. When they are scoring runs, you need to play him, right? He doesn't have tattoos, doesn't wear fancy clothes, is that the reason you're not picking him? Does he not work hard?,” Harbhajan concluded.