Former India cricketer Surinder Khanna has made no secret of criticizing the selectors’ decision to ignore Karun Nair in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 despite He performed well in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25.
Karan Nair has blasted 779 runs with the help of five hundreds in just seven games at an incredible average of 389.5, and in the recent 2024-25 Vijay Ha In the Zahr Cup, he remained unbeaten in six consecutive games. His incredible batting performance created a huge buzz among cricket pundits.
Surinder Khanna slams Indian selectors for overlooking Karun Nair despite his performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25
Many former cricketers said this was Nair’s much-awaited return to the international stage after almost a decade, but India’s selectors once again broke his heart by ruling out the Vidarbha skipper from the England ODIs and 2025 Beyond the International Cricket Championship Trophy.
Surinder Khanna expresses disappointment over Karun Nair’s snub at ignoring the 33-year-old for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 The batsman’s decision was questioned. He stressed that Nair deserves to be named to the 2025 CT squad.
The former India cricketer also pointed out that the Indian cricket team needs younger and more agile players to meet the fast-paced demands of the ODI format, targeting Rohit Sharma, Virat Koh 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 was the chairman of the electorate. He scored 300 runs in a Test match and then disappeared. Now suddenly the moon is out again so that the moon should shine How many 35-36-year-olds can you have in the team in 2-3 years? This is a one-day format; you need to move quickly defensively.”
Meanwhile, Surinder Khanna did not hesitate to come down heavily on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He criticized Rohit Sharma’s fielding, saying it would be easy for the opponents to steal the ball if the Indian captain was stationed on the boundary.
Khanna also pointed out that Virat Kohli’s defense at slip and inside circles was no longer effective, which affected India’s overall performance. However, Kohli is one of the best fielders in the world.
The captain is also weak: Surinder Khanna on Rohit Sharma
Khanna further noted, “The captaincy is also weak. I mean, if you put Rohit Sharma on the boundary, then it’s easy to get two runs. Virat Kohli (Virat Kohli) will also bowl in singles and only in circles. Kohli has not made any runs in the field; he has put in a lot of effort in the circles. I hope they both stay mentally healthy, focused and recovered. to its original state.”
However, the former cricketer welcomed the national selectors’ decision to appoint Shubman Gill as India’s vice-captain for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, calling it a very good and positive development. He concluded by saying that Gill has shown promise but stressed that the youngster must find his form with the bat, which is the most important thing for him and the team.