Kohli and Gambhir's strong reaction to Agarkar's decision on Karun Nair: 'Going against his own rule'

Cricket fans and experts were left stunned on Saturday as exiled batsman Karun Nair was overlooked for Team India’s 2025 Champions Trophy and England ODI series squad. Despite his impressive performance in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he is currently playing in the final against Karnataka, Nair's absence from the national team has raised eyebrows.

The veteran batter has surprised fans with his sudden surge in form in the domestic circuit, and he recently bagged four consecutive tons at the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy. He is also the tournament’s highest-run scorer this season, with 752 runs in eight matches, with an average of 752.

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Explaining his decision to not pick Nair in the squad, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said, “Averaging 750-plus is simply insane, but it’s a squad of 15, so we can’t fit everyone.”

Ajit Agarkar torn to shreds

Reacting to Nair’s bizarre exclusion, former RCB and KKR player Shreevats Goswami mocked Agarkar and BCCI for the decision. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote, “Karun nair not getting picked is like going against your own rule of making domestic cricket mandatory. Gutted for him! #ChampionsTrophy2025”

Goswami's statement also comes after BCCI have reportedly begun to pressurise established Team India players to play in domestic cricket too. Agarkar's decision came as a shock for fans and former players, as many had backed Nair to make it into the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy. The call for Nair’s selection had increased, especially due to the poor form of India’s senior stars at the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Nair was exiled from the Indian team after only six Tests. He made his international debut in 2016, and also got a triple ton in his third Test, which was also his maiden century. Nair also showcased his shot-making abilities in the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, slamming an unbeaten 44-ball 88 vs Maharashtra. With two overs left and on 51 off 35 balls, he hammered four sixes and three fours. It saw a sequence of 4, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6 in the final over.

He has also registered the feat of getting the most runs in List A cricket without being dismissed. During the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy season, he has registered 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112, 122*, 88*.

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