Karun Nair’s consistent performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy raised the voices to bring the Vidarbha batter back into the Indian squad and take him to Dubai for the Champions Trophy.
Nair was in sensational touch in the domestic 50-over tournament, in which his side ended as runners-up to Mayank Agarwal‘s Karnataka. Nair slammed most runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, having scored 779 runs in eight innings at an unbelievable average of 389.50. He smashed five centuries and a fifty and was dismissed only twice in his eight outings.
However, when the squad was announced, the Indian think-tank went with continuity as Nair didn’t find a place in the team. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the reasoning behind his absence, stating that a place in the current Indian ODI team is a tough spot to accommodate, adding that his performances have been noted and he could come into the team in case of a ‘loss of form or injuries’.
India’s newly appointed vice-captain for the Champions Trophy and for the England ODIs, Shubman Gill, has spoken on the voices to bring Nair into the Indian team for the 50-over ICC tournament. Speaking two days ahead of the first ODI against England in Nagpur, Gill credited Nair’s performances, however, he stated that there should be continuity in building a team.
“Karun had a great Vijay Hazare Trophy, but that doesn’t mean the current players should be dropped. They have also performed well to reach this stage,” Gill told media in Nagpur.
He highlighted how the current crop of Indian players have performed in recent ICC events. “We have lost only one game in the World Cups. The players in the squad have contributed significantly, and while it’s unfortunate for those excelling in domestic cricket who weren’t picked, constant chopping and changing will affect players’ confidence. Without continuity, we can never build a strong team,” he said.
On being made the vice-captain Gill said, “I take it as a challenge to lead my way, firstly with my performance and then definitely in the field if Rohit bhai would want my opinions it’s my duty to let him know what my thoughts are.”
Gill also brushed aside the heartbreaking tour of Australia where the Indian team suffered a 1-3 loss and conceded the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time in the last 10 years. “One series does not define the form of the whole team. There are a lot of players who, in the past, have performed consistently in a lot of series and tournaments,” Gill said.
“Definitely, we did not play as per our expectations in the Australian series, but still we played some good cricket. We were unfortunate not to have (Jasprit) Bumrah on the last day and we would have won the match and the series would have been a draw and this talk wouldn’t have happened.
“One match and one day doesn’t define us, we won there twice before and earlier won a World Cup and then reached the final of a World Cup, so we should keep all those things in mind,” he added.
