Focus on Karun Nair as selectors pick squads for England ODIs, Champions Trophy

At a time when the India cricket team Head Coach Gautam Gambhir has emphasised on domestic cricket and reportedly stressed on including it as one of the conditions for national selection in the new policy document sent out to the players by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Karun Nair has made a case for his inclusion in the India squad for the upcoming ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy. 

Nair, who represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket, has notched five centuries this season in Vijay Hazare Trophy one-dayers, including four on the trot.

“The Men’s Selection Committee will select India’s squad for the IDFC First Bank ODI series against England and the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tomorrow in Mumbai. The Selection Meeting will be followed by a press conference…,” said a statement from the BCCI on Friday.

The right-handed Nair, who has played six Tests and two ODIs, last played for India in 2017. That was in the Test against Australia at Dharamsala. Nair had scored 303 not out in just his third Test. But barring that performance his international returns were below par.

The former Karnataka batsman failed to score even a single fifty in the remaining eight international innings and was hence not considered.

But now he has put himself in contention.

There is a likelihood that his domestic performances will not go unnoticed this time and he will be included in the team for the ODI series against England. Based on the performance against England, if he gets to play them, he could be in for the Champions Trophy’s final India squad. The BCCI will name a provisional squad on Saturday morning.

Nair has aggregated 752 runs in eight matches with five centuries. He has an astounding average of 752, inarguably the best in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has notched five tons and a fifty.

An hour after the announcement, Nair will be playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against old team Vidarbha.

Tags : Karun Nair, BCCI, ODIs, England, Champions Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Vidarbha