A resolute Vidarbha reduced Mumbai to 83 for three in their second innings here at the close of Day Four on Thursday, and the defending champions now need a further 323 to win the semifinal match on the fifth and final day. Mumbai are chasing a tall 406 for an improbable victory. Yash Rathod’s 151 (252 balls, 11 fours) and a dogged half-century from skipper Akshay Wadkar (52 off 202 balls, 5×4) took Vidarbha to 292 all out after resuming the day at 147 for four. Having already amassed a huge lead of 113 runs in the first essay, Vidarbha were able to set a huge target of 406. But Mumbai’s reply did not inspire much confidence.

Ayush Mhatre (18), Siddhesh Lad (2) and Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane (12) perished against spin bowling as Vidarbha tightened the screws on the visitors here at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha, setting themselves up to avenge their loss in the Ranji Trophy final last season.

Akash Anand, whose 106 was the only bright spot for Mumbai in the first innings, once again made a fine effort making 27 not out off 92 balls with one four.

At the other end, Shivam Dube was batting on 12. Mumbai are pinning their hopes on the likes of India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani to produce a rearguard on the final day.

But the task would not be easy given the way spinners prised out three wickets to have fallen in the final session.

Mhatre was cleaned up by left-arm spinner Harsh Dube, who also had Lad stumped for a mere two when the No. 3 batter came dancing down the wicket.

Playing only his second First-Class game, the 25-year-old Parth Rekhade once again accounted for Rahane, trapping him leg-before for the third wicket for his side. The pair of Anand and Dube took charge to take Mumbai to stumps without any further damage.

But the day belonged to Vidarbha and two of its star players Rathod and Dube.

With his fifth century of the Ranji Trophy season, Rathod took his runs tally to 933 in nine matches at 58.31 which also includes three half-centuries.

With two more dismissals added to his tally on Thursday, the left-armer Dube’s tally this season swelled to 63 wickets in nine matches with six five-wicket hauls.

Earlier at resumption, Rathod and Wadkar batted with determination as Mumbai did not find much success in the first session. The left-handed Rathod brought up his ton from 168 balls while putting on a stoic 158-run stand with Wadkar for the fifth wicket.

The pair was separated when Mulani cleaned up Wadkar for 52 in the 82nd over, and the Mumbai spinner added three more wickets to his column to return 44-9-85-6.

Kotian took 3/81 while Thakur claimed one wicket.

Gujarat vs Kerala

A resilient 72-run unbroken partnership for the eighth wicket between Jaymeet Patel and Siddharth Desai, following a commanding 148 from opener Priyank Panchal, kept Gujarat on the brink of a third Ranji Trophy final as they finished day four at 429/7 in response to Kerala’s 457 after penultimate day’s play here on Wednesday. Jaymeet, displaying immense patience and temperament, remained unbeaten on 74 from 161 deliveries, curbing his natural strokeplay.

His innings, which included just two boundaries, exemplified his determination to grind out a crucial innings under pressure.

Desai, offering staunch support, was unbeaten on 24 from 134 balls, making full use of his reprieve on 11.

The left-handed duo showed remarkable composure, battling through 36.4 overs as Gujarat trailed by just 28 runs with three wickets in hand heading into the final day.

With the first-innings lead likely to decide the contest, Jaymeet and Desai would look to inch closer to Kerala’s total and push their team into the Ranji Trophy final after 2016-17 when they had won their maiden title. Gujarat had also advanced into the Ranji final in 1950-51 when they finished runners-up.

Kerala started the day strongly. Domestic stalwart Jalaj Saxena led the act with his clever spin bowling.

Manan Hingrajia (33) was the first to fall in the morning session, adding just three runs to his overnight total before Jalaj trapped him leg-before.

Panchal followed soon after, falling agonisingly short of 150 as Jalaj struck again. He got out for 148 (237 balls, 18x4s, 1×6) that proved a major setback for the home side.

Wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel (25) was the third victim of the morning, stumped after being deceived by Jalaj’s flight.

Jalaj was the backbone of Kerala’s bowling effort, sending down a herculean 61 overs.

He bowled unchanged in the morning session and took all three wickets to fall before lunch.

By lunch, Gujarat had slipped to 325/5, with Kerala sensing an opportunity to take control and gain that crucial first innings lead.

Skipper Chintan Gaja (2) fell immediately after the break, once again to Jalaj, who ended the day with figures of 4/137 in a marathon 61-over bowling spell, which included 12 maidens.

With Gujarat reeling at 357/7, still trailing by 100 runs, the onus was on Jaymeet and Desai to script a fightback.

The duo rose to the occasion, showing remarkable patience and resilience, particularly in the face of a tiring Kerala attack that struggled to maintain intensity.

As the final session commenced, Jaymeet and Desai showcased extraordinary defensive technique and patience, denying Kerala bowlers any further breakthroughs.

Jaymeet brought up his fifty off 107 balls with a single against Nidheesh. This was his fifth consecutive 50-plus score in the Ranji Trophy, which included two centuries.

Desai, dropped on 11 by Akshay Chandran at second slip, made Kerala pay for their lapse.

Though he managed only one boundary in his 134-ball stay, his solid defensive approach frustrated the opposition, complementing Jaymeet’s measured innings.

Despite having close-in fielders surrounding the bat in a gripping final session, Kerala bowlers looked increasingly listless.

Jaymeet cleverly manoeuvred the field to pick up easy singles, ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking.

The lack of support for Jalaj from the rest was evident and is likely to hurt Kerala, as the fielders failed to sustain the pressure and bowlers struggled to find breakthroughs.

Pace spearhead MD Nidheesh struggled with accuracy and finished with 1/86 from 23 overs, proving to be the most expensive of their six-man attack.

N Basil (1/59; 22 overs) and Aditya Sarwate (1/104; 36 overs) managed a wicket each but failed to apply sustained pressure, allowing Gujarat’s lower order to build a crucial stand.

Gujarat had earlier made a strategic decision to bring in Hemang Patel as a concussion substitute for Ravi Bishnoi, who was ruled out after suffering a delayed concussion from a blow to the forehead while fielding on day three.

Bishnoi had dived full-length at point in an attempt to stop a shot, only for the ball to ricochet off his hand onto his head.

The injury forced Gujarat to call in Hemang, who coming in at No. 5, played an aggressive knock to counter Kerala’s attack.

He took on Jalaj, hitting two boundaries in the 94th over, and also dispatched Aditya Sarwate for a six in an effort to keep Gujarat in the hunt.

Brief scores:

Vidarbha 383 & 292 in 110.1 overs (Yash Rathod 151, Akshay Wadkar 52; Shams Mulani 6/85, Tanush Kotian 3/81) lead Mumbai 270 & 83/3 in 31 overs (Akash Anand 27 batting; Harsh Dubey 2/26, Parth Rekhade 1/16) by 323 runs.

Kerala 1st Innings: 457 all out vs Gujarat 1st Innings: 429/7 in 154 overs (Priyank Panchal 148, Jaymeet Patel 74 batting, Aarya Desai 73, Siddharth Desai 24 batting; Jalaj Saxena 4/137). Gujarat trail by 28 runs.

Veteran Sachin Baby steadied Kerala’s innings with a resolute unbeaten half-century, guiding his team to 206/4 against a probing Gujarat attack on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal here on Monday. The 36-year-old southpaw occupied the crease for two full sessions, crafting an unbeaten 69 off 193 balls (8×4) that kept their maiden final hopes alive. He found an able ally in Mohammed Azharuddeen, who remained unbeaten on 30 off 66 balls (3×4) after surviving a last-ball LBW scare as DRS overturned the decision, denying Gujarat a breakthrough right before stumps. Trapped LBW by Chintan Gaja, the Kerala keeper-batter was given out by the on-field umpire, sparking celebrations in Gujarat camp.

However, the batter immediately reviewed the decision, and ball-tracking confirmed it was sliding down the leg side as Kerala heaved a sigh of relief, ending the day without further damage.

Their unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 49 runs kept Kerala afloat against Gujarat’s relentless bowling attack, which deployed seven bowlers, though only Arzan Nagwaswalla (16-4-39-1), Priyajitsing Jadeja (12-0-33-1), and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (15-2-33-1) managed breakthroughs.

With Kerala looking to build on their total, the first session on day two will be crucial, and Baby’s innings will hold the key.

On the other hand, the hosts, seeking their first final appearance since their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph in 2016-17, will look to seize control early.

Opting to bat, Kerala started well, but none of the top-order batters could convert their starts into a big knocks.

While wickets fell at regular intervals, Baby stood firm, bringing up his 28th first-class fifty.

The scoring rate, however, remained sluggish throughout the day as Kerala crawled to 200 in 86.3 overs, consuming over 470 dot balls.

Gujarat toiled hard, and the crucial strikes and low-scoring run-rate from Kerala definitely kept them in the contest.

With four wickets down, an early breakthrough on day two could tilt the balance in favour of the home side.

Kerala looked to be settling in when left-arm pacer Nagwaswalla broke a promising fourth-wicket partnership, worth 71 runs, cleaning up Jalaj Saxena.

Attempting a late cut off a back-of-a-length delivery, Jalaj only managed to drag the ball onto his stumps. The wicket came just a delivery after he had survived an LBW review.

Baby was highly disciplined in his approach, displaying excellent judgment outside the off-stump and rarely flirting with deliveries in the fourth-stump channel.

The experienced left-hander took his time, grinding out a patient innings against a Gujarat attack that bowled with discipline.

Azharuddeen, Kerala’s second-highest run-getter this season, took 11 deliveries to get off the mark but provided solid support to Baby.

Left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai exploited the rough patches outside off-stump, but Baby remained unperturbed, watching the ball closely and countering spin with a solid defence.

Despite the second new ball being available, Gujarat refrained from taking it, preferring to persist with Desai and Bishnoi in the closing stages of the day, with close-in fielders crowding the batters.

They finally took the second new ball in the 86th over but did not taste any success.

Earlier, Kerala made up a solid start with openers Rohan Kunnummal and Akshay Chandran negotiating the new ball spells of Chintan Gaja and Nagwaswalla without any trouble.

The duo put up a 60-run stand, showing patience against the Gujarat bowlers while capitalising on loose deliveries.

However, Gujarat struck back before the lunch break when a mix-up led to Chandran’s run out for 30 off 71 balls (5×4).

Within four overs, Gujarat struck again when Kunnummal was trapped leg-before by Bishnoi for 30 off 68 balls (5×4) after an unsuccessful DRS review. Kerala, from a steady 60/0, found themselves at 63/2.

The left-right combination had looked comfortable, but the two dismissals came against the run of play, leaving Kerala with two new batters at the crease.

Varun Nayanar’s tentative stay ended at 10, edging Jadeja behind, reducing Kerala to 86/3.

From there, Baby and Jalaj steadied the innings with their cautious partnership, frustrating the Gujarat attack.

Gujarat even lost a review when Bishnoi’s appeal against Jalaj was turned down. 

Mumbai vs Vidarbha

Danish Malewar’s gritty 79 and opener Dhruv Shorey’s attractive 74 made up for a gritty batting show by hosts Vidarbha as they reached 308 for 5 against defending champions Mumbai on the first day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final here on Monday. Karun Nair, who is back in contention for a Test team berth, scored a chiselled 45 before he seemed distinctly unhappy with a caught behind decision of Shivam Dube’s bowling although he had opted for DRS.

While the two-time champions didn’t have a big partnership, they had enough middling stands to see them cross 300-run mark after Mumbai had sent down 88 overs in the day.

Mumbai bowlers were also guilty of bowling as many as 13 no balls during the course of the opening day.

Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (2/44 in 18 overs) was easily the best bowler on the day as he got appreciable bounce and some amount of purchase from the Jamtha track.

Dube (2/35 in 9 overs) also had a couple wickets but one of them was more so because of a splendid one-handed diving catch by Suryakumar Yadav in the slip cordon.

That Mumbai failed to make more inroads was because the two new ball bowlers Shardul Thakur (0/57 in 14 overs) and Mohit Avasthi (0/61 in 14 overs) were way off the mark with both new ball and second new ball at the fag end of the day.

The morning session belonged to Shorey, who capitalised on the half-volleys provided by Avasthi, who simply doesn’t have the required pace to trouble batters if he doesn’t get to swing the new ball.

As far as Shardul is concerned, he fed Shorey on the legs and got whipped.

It was left-armer Royston Dias, who got the breakthrough with a delivery that climbed on left-hander Atharva Taide (4) as the batter tried to shoulder arms.

Shorey, a former Delhi opener, who hit nine boundaries, added 54 for the second wicket with left-hander Parth Rekhade (23), who was out just before lunch trying to drive Dube but Surya standing at third slip showing brilliant reflexes to pouch it one-handed.

Malewar, who has been Vidarbha’s find of the season, blended caution with aggression after lunch, dominating in his 51-run stand with Shorey.

Shorey, who looked good for a three-figure mark, was finally gone when Mulani got one to jump off length and it turned enough to carry the edge which Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane gleefully accepted.

Nair, who is in fantastic form this season, looked effortless while tackling both Mulani and off-spinner Tanush Kotian en route his 78-run fourth wicket stand with Malewar.

They were ready to use their feet with Malewar hitting the only six off the day off Mulani, who was otherwise in full control.

Nair, who had hit six boundaries, looked in control before a delivery from Dube in the post-tea session moved a shade and was taken by keeper Akash Anand.

While on-field umpire gave it out after some deliberation, Nair asked for review and the decision was upheld.

Malewar’s 159 ball knock ended when he tried to play forward defence to a Mulani delivery that kissed the outside edge into keeper Anand’s gloves.

However the bespectacled pair of left-handed Yash Rathod (47 batting) and skipper Akshay Wadkar (13 batting) added 47 for the unbroken sixth wicket to take the total past 300-run mark.

Unarguably the most in-form Indian batter from the domestic spectrum, Vidarbha star Karun Nair made heads turn with his unthinkable performances in Vijay Hazare Trophy. With a whopping 752 runs under his belt in just 7 innings, Nair made arguably the loudest call for national selection that anyone in modern times has witnessed. But, the competition for places in the Indian team is such that the veteran batter couldn’t find a spot in the Indian team for the ODI series against England or the ICC Champions Trophy.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar was asked about the decision to snub Nair for the 50-over format despite the batter doing so well in List A cricket. Agarkar made it clear that he ‘can’t fit everyone’ in the team.

“At the moment, finding a spot in the squad in this team is really 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 had said during a press briefing back then.

When Karun Nair was asked about this statement from Nair, he thanked the chief selector for keeping things crystal clear for him as well as other players in his category.

“It was good to see that a clear statement was given, and I think he made it very clear that, you know, what their thinking was, which makes it easier for the player to understand where he needs to go and what he needs to do. For me at least, it is just about focusing on the next match and focusing on winning the Ranji Trophy at the moment,” Karun Nair said in an interview with RevSportz.

The 33-year-old gave a sneek-peak into his approach, saying he has been working hard for the past 3-4 years, with only one objective in his mind, which is to earn a recall to the national team.

“I have been batting the same way for the past 16-18 months. It was just about replicating whatever I was doing well, which I was fortunate enough to do over a consistent period. I have not made any changes to anything. It’s just 3-4 years of hard work on a consistent basis, going through the same process every single day, waking up every single day with one single thing in your head to go out there and play for your country. So, I think it’s all the 3-4 years of hard work or many more years of hard work that is coming into existence now,” Nair asserted.

Riding on seamer Nachiket Bhute’s three-wicket haul and Yash Rathod’s neatly-crafted century, Vidarbha made a grand entry into the Ranji Trophy semifinal, defeating Tamil Nadu by 198 runs on day four here on Tuesday. Bhute returned excellent figures of 3/19 in his 10 overs after middle-order batter Rathod had smashed a watchful 213-ball 112 as last season’s runners-up continued their winning run in the tournament. Set a target of 401, Tamil Nadu, despite a long list of accomplished batters, found themselves in dire straits after being reduced to 45 for five on the penultimate day with Bhute accounting for dangerous opener Narayan Jagadeesan (18), Vijay Shankar (5) and Boopathi Kumar (0).

Though Pradosh Ranjan Paul struck a laboured 53 (95 balls) and tail-ender Sonu Yadav showed oodles of determination on way to a gritty 57 (84 balls), it was too little too late as TN’s batting folded up for 202 in 61.1 overs, with left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (3/40) doing the damage at the fag end by taking the last three wickets.

Vidarbha, who entered day four leading by 297 runs, did well to demoralise Tamil Nadu by adding 103 more runs to their overnight score, losing the remaining five wickets in the process.

Rathod, who was unbeaten on 55 overnight, was the pick of the Vidarbha batters as he gradually grew in confidence to score his fifth first-class century in 16 first-class games, though he consumed 213 deliveries in the process.

His 120-run partnership with Harsh Dubey (64) helped Vidarbha consolidate their position from overnight 169/5 to 272 all out in 92.3 overs as last season’s runners-up took a massive 400-run lead.

Tamil Nadu’s second innings started in an almost similar fashion as the first as wickets fell in a heap with right-arm pacer Aditya Thakare striking the first blow by dismissing Mohammed Ali for 10. Bhute then took over by reducing the opponents to 45/5 in just the 17th over before Pradosh Ranjan put up a semblance of a fight with a half century.

But his dismissal virtually paved the way for Vidarbha’s victory with Sonu Yadav only delaying the inevitable with a half-century.

Jammu and Kashmir vs Kerala

Skipper Paras Dogra led by example with a fine century and helped Jammu and Kashmir set Kerala a stiff target of 399 on the fourth day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal here on Tuesday. After Dogra made 132 to power J&K to 399 for nine in their second innings, Kerala reached 100 for two at stumps with Akshay Chandran and captain Sachin Baby batting on 32 and 19, respectively, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. Medium pacer Yudhvir Singh (2/31) picked both the wickets in Kerala’s second innings.

Rohan Kunnummal made a breezy 36 off 39 balls before getting caught by Kanhaiya Wadhawan for J&K’s first breakthrough.

Kunnummal struck seven boundaries during his stay in the middle, but Shoun Roger (6) was dismissed cheaply to leave Kerala at 70 for two.

Chandran, who faced 100 balls for his 32, in the company of Baby then saw off the remaining overs.

Kerala will enter the final day’s play requiring 299 runs to pull off a miracle win.

Jammu and Kashmir will, however, fancy their chances as they have the bowlers to put Kerala under pressure on a fifth day pitch and with plenty of runs to defend.

Earlier in the day, Dogra, resuming on his overnight 73, went on to score an excellent hundred and found an able ally in Wadhawan, who chipped in with an invaluable 64 off 116 balls.

Dogra hit 13 fours and two sixes during his innings, while Wadhawan found the fence five times.

Once the 146-run fourth wicket partnership came to an end, Sahil Lotra made 59 off 77 balls, while Lone Nasir (28) and Yudhvir (27 not out) also made useful contributions to stretch their team’s overall lead and compound Kerala’s problems.

Pacer MD Nidheesh, who picked up six wickets in the first innings, was again the most successful bowler for Kerala with figures of 4/89 in 26 overs.

There were two wickets apiece for Nedumankuzhy Basil (2/100) and Aditya Sarwate (2/76).

Brief scores:

Vidarbha: 353 & 272 in 92.3 overs (Yash Rathod 112, Harsh Dubey 64; Sai Kishore Sai Kishore 5/78, Ajith Ram 2/33) vs Tamil Nadu: 225 & 202 in 61.1 overs (Pradosh Ranjan Paul 53, Sonu Yadav 57; Nachiket Bhute 3/19, Harsh Dubey 3/40). Vidarbha beat Tamil Nadu by 198 runs.

Jammu and Kashmir: 280 and 399/9 declared in 100.2 overs (Paras Dogra 132, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 64, Sahil Lotra 59; MD Nidheesh 4/89) Kerala: 281 and 100/2 in 36 overs (Akshay Chandran batting 32; Yudhvir Singh 2/31).

Karun Nair has opened up on his snub from India’s squad for the Champions Trophy.© X (Twitter)

A true domestic stalwart, Karun Nair has made heads turn in the Indian cricketing spectrum with his exemplary performances. The batter finished the Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign for Vidarbha with 779 runs to his name in 9 innings, from which he remained unbeaten in 8. Nair’s consistent show helped Vidarbha reach the final of India’s premier 50-over domestic competition, though his team suffered a defeat in the final against Karnataka. Nair, who has featured for India in 6 Tests and 2 ODIs, last donned the national team jersey in 2017. His breathtaking show in the Vijay Hazare Trophy saw many former cricketers rally behind his name, though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar couldn’t fix him in the Champions Trophy squad.

Once averaging over 700 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, you arguably made every single Indian cricket fan stand up and advocate your selection on social media platforms. It seemed like a movement was triggered for your re-entry into the Indian team. Several former cricketers also spoke admirably about your performances and supported your case. How did you feel to see your name trending on social media charts at the top?

Obviously, it felt very good, really happy and satisfied with the way I was able to bat and perform for my team with Vidarbha in this ongoing trophy. And also in the last 12 to 16 months I’ve been batting really well, scoring a lot of runs in all formats. So really happy with how it has been taken and all that is running in my mind at the moment is to keep continuing the same way and keep scoring in every game that I play and take one game at a time in whichever format that I play.

The BCCI seems to be pushing for players to re-enter the domestic cricket arena, even for national selection. Does this push for domestic cricket make you believe more in your potential Team India return?

Yeah, obviously it’s very heartening to see a lot of guys who are part of the Indian team coming and playing the Ranji trophy. So obviously it gives all the domestic players a huge boost as you are able to play against the best players in the country and to test yourself against the best. So obviously it gives a lot of confidence if you can do well and it increases the belief and confidence level in your own game.

It’s been a while since you represented India and it’s tough to keep the fire burning. What did you do to keep yourself going? Maybe a few others who are on the cusp of giving up can take a lesson or two from you.

Yeah, it’s been a while since I represented India. What I have done at least is to focus on myself, to make sure that I keep getting better every day, and try to find ways of bettering myself in all aspects of the game in terms of cricket skills, and training. Also as a human being try to be better every single day learn from other people learn how they go about their work in the cricket field and also in their lives and just keep it simple, taking one day at a time and respecting each day as it comes.

Your IPL career has been a little unfulfilling. Now with Delhi Capitals, what are your expectations from this season?

Yeah, I’m really excited about getting back into the IPL with the Delhi capitals. Really thankful to them for showing faith in me and giving me an opportunity. Now it’s about me going out there and making sure that I grab that opportunity and do well for the team and make sure that I give my 100% and hopefully we can come away with a trophy at the end of the season.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has lashed out at the management over Karun Nair‘s omission from the squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. On Saturday, India captain Rohit Sharma and chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar announced India’s 15-man squad during a press conference at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Nair scored 27 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Karnataka, ending the season as the highest run-getter with 779 runs in eight matches.

However, Harbhajan lashed out at the selectors for ignoring Nair, and questioned whether there’s any point of scoring runs in domestic cricket when performing players are not being selected.

“Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don’t pick players based on form & performance?,” Harbhajan posted on X.

Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don’t pick players based on form & performance ? #KarunNair

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 18, 2025

During the press conference, Agarkar admitted that it was indeed tough to include Karun in a squad of 15 in the current situation.

“Yeah, it is tough. Those are really special performances. I mean, someone who averages – 700-plus, 750-plus. We did have a chat (about Karun),” Agarkar explained.

“But at the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult. I mean, look at the guys who’ve been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s.

“So, unfortunately, you can’t fit everyone in. It’s a squad of 15. But those performances (like Karun) certainly make you take notice,” he added.

Having last played for India in March 2017, Nair was the only Test triple centurion for India after legendary opener Virender Sehwag.

In six Tests for India since his debut in 2016, he made 374 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.33, with best score of 303*. Nair also played two ODIs for India, scoring 46 runs with best score of 39.

India Squad for Champions Trophy and England ODIs: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardil Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana (only 2 ODIs vs England)

(With ANI Inputs)

Team India announced their 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Saturday, choosing to ignore Karun Nair despite his red-hot form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Nair has slammed 752 runs in seven innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and made a serious case to be a late inclusion. However, the selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar did not pick Nair even for the ODI series against England, instead maintaining continuity. This decision came under tremendous flak from one of Virat Kohli‘s former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammates.

Shreevats Goswami, who played at RCB with Kohli from 2008 to 2010, and also played under Gautam Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2011, was livid with the decision to leave Nair out.

Karun nair not getting picked is like going against your own rule of making domestic cricket mandatory.  for him! #ChampionsTrophy2025

— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) January 18, 2025

Goswami implied hypocrisy on part of the BCCI making domestic cricket mandatory in their 10-point guideline but then leaving out Nair.

“Karun Nair not getting picked is like going against your own rule of making domestic cricket mandatory,” Goswami wrote on X.

Goswami reasoned that Karun Nair could’ve at least been taken as a travelling reserve with Team India.

“Why not make an exception for someone who has scored 752 runs in seven games, I mean use his form! Take an extra player and go. India did take 4 reserves including Gill for the recent T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. 2015 World Cup too Dhawal Kulkarni was a part of WC as travelling reserve. Jaiswal as an extra opener? Just add him as the 16th!,” Goswami stated.

Why not make exception for someone who has scored 752 runs in 7 games , I mean use his form! Take a extra player and go. India did take 4 reserve including gill for recent t20 wc in the Caribbean .2015 wc too Dhawal kulkarni was a part of WC as travelling reserve. Jaiswal as…

— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) January 18, 2025

Goswami reasoned that India do not have a middle order back-up, which is why Karun Nair should’ve been picked.

Meanwhile, Agarkar defended not picking Karun Nair.

“Karun Nair is playing well but it was difficult for him to get a place in this team,” Agarkar said in the press conference for the team announcement.

“It was difficult to find a place and all those who have been picked have averaged in mid 40s,” Agarkar says, defending the choice of batters in the 15-man squad.

Team India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad was announced on Saturday, with captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressing the media via a press conference. Shubman Gill being made vice-captain was one of the major talking points, while Jasprit Bumrah was provisionally included despite injury concerns. However, Vijay Hazare Trophy run machine Karun Nair was overlooked despite scoring 752 runs in seven innings. The selection decisions divided opinion on social media, with fans not hesitating to put forth their views on the 15-man side.

Shubman Gill was confirmed as vice-captain for the Champions Trophy, continuing on in the role from India’s previous ODI series, against Sri Lanka.

“A slap on the face of haters and illogical audiences who were mixing formats,” said a passionate fan, regarding Gill’s appointment.

Meanwhile, the decision to not include Karun Nair has not gone down well with several sections of the fanbase, who feel that the 33-year-old should’ve been rewarded for his purple patch.

“Karun Nair deserves a spot. Don’t agree with what Ajit said. Players score runs , they should get a chance,” said another user.

Shubman Gill as vice captain of Indian team in an ICC event at the age of 25

A slap on the face of haters and illogical audience who were mixing formats.

Really happy for you brother, Now make it count for yourself and your country #ShubmanGill #ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/fgXbxD7w9a

— Sakib Shabir (@sakibshabir44) January 18, 2025

Why is Karun Nair not there in your consideration at least. Have you announced the reserved players staff or not?

— Shivang Kaushik (@Shivangkaushik3) January 18, 2025

Karun Nair deserves a spot. Don’t agree with what Ajit said. Players score runs , they should get a chance. There are players on this team who have not performed. Time to bring young blood or players like Sanju and Karun

— Sri Primo (@sri_sri93) January 18, 2025

Looks like very balanced team, there are few should be in but again only 11 can play!

All the best #TeamIndia. Jeet ka aao!

— InsightCrate (@insightcrate) January 18, 2025

The two biggest names India left out came in the form of wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson and pacer Mohammed Siraj. The latter was not even picked as a backup for Jasprit Bumrah, with Harshit Rana fulfilling that requirement for the England series.

Having been a regular member for a few years in white ball cricket, the decision to exclude Siraj altogether brought intrigue from supporters.

“Since 1st Jan 2022, Siraj is the third highest wicket taker in the ODI format, claiming 71 wickets, him not being anywhere around the setup for the tournament, is something tough to understand,” said a user.

Some fans were content with the squad, and just wished Team India the best for the Champions Trophy.

Hours after his omission from Team India’s squad for the Champions Trophy, Vidarbha captain Karun Nair dream run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy came to an end with a 27-run knock in the final against Karnataka. Nair, who had scored 752 runs in seven games in the lead up to the final, was undone by an excellent delivery from pacer Prasidh Krishna. Nair was beaten all ends up as the ball kept low and nipped back in sharply to rattle the stumps.

Big wicket

Prasidh Krishna gets the crucial wicket of Karun Nair #VijayHazareTrophy @IDFCFIRSTBank

Scorecard https://t.co/ZZjfWXaajB pic.twitter.com/0D0CUIyuYO

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 18, 2025

Nair’s dismissal saw Vidarbha reduced to 88/2 while chasing 349 against Karnataka in the final.

Earlier, Ravichandran Smaran smashed a century to power Karnataka to 348/6 in 50 overs.

Krishnan Shrijith and Abhinav Manohar also scored half-centuries to propel Karnataka to a big total.

Meanwhile, Nair’s omission from the Champions Trophy squad will raise questions about the relevance for scoring heavily in domestic cricket.

Head of BCCI’s selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, admitted that it was indeed tough to include Karun in a squad of 15 in the current situation.

“Yeah, it is tough. Those are really special performances. I mean, someone who averages – 700-plus, 750-plus. We did have a chat (about Karun),” Agarkar said in the press meet to announce the Indian squads here on Saturday.

“But at the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult. I mean, look at the guys who’ve been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s.

“So, unfortunately, you can’t fit everyone in. It’s a squad of 15. But those performances (like Karun) certainly make you take notice,” he added.

So, what precisely is the team combination that Agarkar was talking about? In domestic cricket, Karun bats the highest at No. 3, and at times, comes at either No. 4 or 5, depending on the conditions.

However, those slots in the Indian team are occupied by Virat Kohli, a titan in one-dayers, Shreyas Iyer, who averages close to 50 in ODIs, and either KL Rahul, a proven, flexible 50-over batter who also keep wickets, or Rishabh Pant, an explosive left-handed batter and the first-choice stumper-batter.

(With PTI Inputs)