Shubman Gill, India’s ODI vice-captain, expressed disappointment over Karun Nair’s exclusion from the squad for the three-match ODI series against England, despite his exceptional performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Leading Vidarbha in the tournament, Nair amassed 779 runs at an astonishing average of 389.5. His consistent batting display included scores of 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112, 122*, 88*, and 27, earning praise from cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Despite Nair’s impressive domestic form, Gill pointed out that the current Indian team is packed with in-form players. He acknowledged the strong performances of middle-order batters in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where several of them contributed significantly, helping India reach the final. According to Gill, the team has played only three ODIs since the World Cup, making it difficult to accommodate new players.
Gill Defends the Current Squad
While recognizing Nair’s achievements, Gill highlighted the importance of team consistency and the need to back players who have already performed well at the international level.
“He definitely performed very well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. But you also need to consider who he would have replaced. The players in the current setup are already doing well. In the ODI World Cup, every middle-order batter scored 400-500 runs. We have just played three ODIs after that as a group,” Shubman Gill told reporters ahead of the first ODI against England.
Gill further stressed that one tournament cannot define a player’s selection, especially when the team as a whole has been performing consistently. “No one has gotten a longer run. We lost the ODI World Cup final. If you leave out that performance, the entire team has been performing consistently. I think the players who are already there have been performing,” he added.
‘Won’t Be Justice’ to Replace Performing Players
Gill emphasized that a strong team must support its players and avoid creating insecurity within the squad. He believes that replacing an in-form player with another, purely based on domestic performances, would be unfair.
“It is unfortunate that players who have done well in domestic cricket were not able to find a place in the team. I strongly believe for any player to come in, there should be a place for them as well. It won’t be justice if the player who is already performing is asked to make the way,” said Gill.
He further added, “Then we won’t be able to form a consistent team. Every good team backs their players, and we don’t want insecurity to creep in within our players.”
Meanwhile, Karun Nair continues to capitalize on his form, scoring a century for Vidarbha in the second innings of the Ranji Trophy match against Hyderabad.
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