Former Indian cricketer Surinder Khanna did not hold back in his criticism of the selectors’ decision to ignore Karun Nair for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, despite his extraordinary form with the bat in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25.
Karun Nair blasted 779 runs in just seven matches with the help of five hundreds at an incredible average of 389.5, and he remained unbeaten in six straight innings in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. His incredible batting performance created a huge buzz among cricket experts.
Surinder Khanna slams Indian selectors for ignoring Karun Nair despite his phenomenal Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 performance
Many former cricketers said that this was Nair’s moment to make a long-awaited return to the international scene after nearly a decade, but the Indian selectors left him heartbroken yet again, excluding the Vidarbha captain for both England ODIs and ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
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Expressing his frustrations over Karun Nair’s snub, Surinder Khanna questioned the decision to overlook the 33-year-old batter for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He stressed that Nair deserved to be picked in the CT 2025 squad.
The former Indian cricketer also noted that the Indian cricket team needs younger, more agile players for the fast-paced demands of the ODI format, targeting Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja.
I think Karun Nair is a bit unlucky: Surinder Khanna
Surinder Khanna was quoted as saying by ANI, “I think Karun Nair is a bit unlucky. I wish I were the chairman of selectors. He hit 300 in the test match, and after that he disappeared. Now suddenly the moon has come out again, so that moon should shine for 2-3 years, and how many 35–36-year-olds can you have in the team? It’s a one-day format; you require quick movers in the fielding.”
Meanwhile, Surinder Khanna didn’t hold back in his harsh criticism of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He blasted Rohit Sharma’s fielding, saying if the Indian skipper is stationed on the boundary, the opposition can easily steal the runs.
Khanna also pointed out that Virat Kohli’s fielding in the slips and inside the circle is not effective anymore, which affects the Indian team’s overall performance. However, Kohli is one of the best fielders in the world.
Read Also: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Harbhajan Singh, ex-RCB star expose BCCI’s hypocrisy over Karun Nair’s snub
The captain is also weak: Surinder Khanna on Rohit Sharma
Khanna further noted, “The captain is also weak. I mean, if you make Rohit Sharma field on the boundary, then two runs will be easily taken. Virat Kohli also fields in slips and only does fields inside the circle. Kohli is not making runs in the fielding; he is putting in a lot of effort in the circle. I hope they all get fit mentally and focus and come back to their form.”
However, the former cricketer hailed the national selectors’ decision to appoint Shubman Gill as India’s vice-captain for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, saying it is a very good and positive development. He signed off by saying that Gill has shown promise but stressed that the youngster must find his form with the bat, and that’s the main thing for him and the team.