The 33-year-old Karun Nair has made a shocking revelation after his snub from India’s Champions Trophy squad and remains hopeful for reviving his test career.
The Vidarbha batter made a solid performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a stunning average of 289.50 in the tournament but was ruled out for the squad selection for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Days after his snub, he made a statement regarding being not considered for the 50-over tournament. Karun Nair who played his last test match in 2017, has been in sensational form in domestic cricket and believes he still has a chance to don the whites for India again.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Karun Nair’s name was discussed during the squad selection meetings, but he ultimately did not cut the marquee tournament. Nair remains focused on his long-term goal of returning to the test setup.
“If I’m being honest, before the tournament, I wasn’t thinking about that. At least for me, it felt quite far away. But like I said, you have dreams, you have thoughts, you want to achieve things.”
“But you’re not thinking, ‘I’m going to make it.’ You think, ‘I want to make it.’ But whether it will actually happen is always a question mark in your head,” told Karun Nair.
Nair amassed 779 runs from eight innings at an average of 389.50 registering five centuries and a fifty. His dominant run made him the highest run-getter in the tournament.
“I still have the dream of playing Test cricket for India. I’ve said it in many interviews. So quite honestly, that was the only thing on my mind. I wasn’t even thinking that I’d be mentioned or considered for the Champions Trophy squad, so I feel really grateful for that,” Nair added.
Despite the setbacks, Nair continues to push forward, drawling praise from cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar recently lauded Nair’s recent exploits in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“It was one of the greatest feelings ever to receive appreciation from your childhood hero. It was an amazing moment. I am really thankful to him for taking the time to put out that message.”
“I feel truly blessed to have received those kind words from him. But again, I need to keep performing. Every game and every innings counts, so that remains my focus,” Nair said.
