Karun Nair has opined that he needs to keep dreaming of making a comeback into the national team. Nair amassed 779 runs with five centuries in the Vijay Hazare trophy and guided Vidarbha to the final of the tournament.
The right-hander scored his runs at an average of 389.50 in eight innings. Karun Nair also had a good run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, scoring 255 runs in six matches at an average of 42.50 and an impressive strike rate of 177.08.
However, Nair was ignored despite his consistent performances in the domestic tournaments.
“Obviously, the possibility of an India comeback has to be on your mind. If you want to play for the country, you have to keep dreaming. There are these thoughts and dreams in the head but that’s just motivation,” Nair told Hindustan Times.
On the other hand, chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that Karun Nair’s name was discussed in the selection meeting as he has been in prolific form but it was not possible to accommodate him in the 15-man Champions Trophy squad.
“I mean, those are really special performances and I mean someone who averages about 700+, 750 + or something, we did have a chat, no doubt about it, when those kind of performances happen. At the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult. Look at the guys who have been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s. Unfortunately, you can’t fit everyone in a squad of 15. But those performances certainly make you take notice. If there is a loss of form (for a player) or injuries, there’s certainly going to be a conversation around him,” Agarkar said in the press conference.
India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.
India squad for the Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant(wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
