Former India cricketer Surinder Khanna shared his ideas on the omission of Karun Nair from the Champions Trophy squad regardless of an distinctive performer in first-class cricket. Ajit Agarkar and skipper Rohit Sharma held a press convention on Saturday to announce the 15-member squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 and ODI collection in opposition to England. “I feel Karun Nair is a bit unfortunate. I want I used to be the chairman of selectors. He hit 300 within the take a look at match, and after that he disappeared. Now all of a sudden the moon has come out once more, in order that moon ought to shine for 2-3 years and what number of 35-36 yr olds can you’ve got within the staff? It’s a one-day format, you require fast movers within the fielding,” Surinder Khanna mentioned whereas talking to ANI.
Nair was the top-run-getter not just for Vidarbha but in addition within the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, having collected a large 779 runs in seven matches at a mind-boggling common of 389.50 as he has remained unbeaten in six innings. Even after his stupendous efficiency in home cricket, the 33-year-old didn’t discover a spot within the 15-member squad.
In six Tests for India since his debut in 2016, he made 374 runs in seven innings at a median of 62.33, with greatest rating of 303*. Nair additionally performed two ODIs for India, scoring 46 runs with greatest rating of 39.
Further, the 68-year-old raised questions on Rohit and stalwart batter Virat Kohli’s health and mentioned that they each ought to get “mentally match” and deal with their video games to come back again to kind.
“The captain can also be weak. I imply, if you happen to make Rohit Sharma’s discipline on the boundary, then two runs will probably be simply taken. Virat Kohli additionally fields in slips and solely does fielding contained in the circle. Kohli will not be making runs within the fielding, he’s placing in lots of effort within the circle. I hope all of them get match mentally and focus and are available again to their kind,” Surinder Khanna added.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli got here below fireplace for an underwhelming Border-Gavaskar Trophy marketing campaign and total a really disappointing 2024/25 season of Test cricket. Sharma (31 runs in three matches and 5 innings at a median of 6.20) and Virat Kohli (190 runs in 5 matches and 9 innings at a median of 23.75 with a century) lacked large time with the bat. Virat fell for the outside-off-stump lure all through the collection, most notably by pacer Scott Boland who dismissed him 4 occasions.
The 2024-25 season of Tests has been depressing for ‘Ro-Ko’ (Rohit and Kohli). While Rohit scored simply 164 runs in eight matches and 15 innings at a median of 10.93 with greatest rating of 52, Virat scored a shambolic 382 runs in 10 matches and 19 innings at a median of twenty-two.87, with only a century and fifty every.
In the tip, the previous cricketer lauded the administration’s resolution to elect Shubman Gill because the vice-captain of the Men in Blue for the Champions Trophy 2025.
“It is an excellent and constructive improvement. The new era who need to take captainship from Rohit Sharma, have been given management roles. When Shubman Gill was despatched to Zimbabwe as a captain, he went to a few locations. The teen has proven promise. Gill has to get his kind, that is the primary factor,” Surinder Khanna concluded.
The freshest problem awaiting India is the ICC Champions Trophy, ranging from February 19 until March 9. It will probably be hosted by Pakistan and UAE, with India taking part in its matches in UAE below a hybrid mannequin.
The eight-team match will characteristic 15 50-over matches and will probably be performed throughout Pakistan and in Dubai. The largest match of the match between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan will probably be performed on February 23. India will begin its marketing campaign in opposition to Bangladesh on February 20. India’s final league match will probably be in opposition to New Zealand on March 2. The Rohit Sharma-led aspect will play all their matches in Dubai.
India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
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