'Karun Nair is not a reserve player: Rohit and Agarkar suggest he be picked to play'

Karun Nair, 33, has had a remarkable turnaround this season. Once overlooked for selection, he is now considered a top candidate for India's Champions Trophy squad. In just a month, Nair has gone from being perceived as nowhere in the selection radar to becoming one of the standout stories of the season.

However, former India women's head coach WV Raman feels Karun Nair should be featured in the starting XI if he is selected in the squad. The 59-year-old reckons that Nair does not have age on his side, hence making him sit on the bench, would serve no purpose.

Karun Nair has been in smashing form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. His average this season is a staggering 752. He has been dismissed once and has five centuries in the ongoing edition.

He has led from the front to take Vidarbha to the tournament's finals, where the side will face Karnataka later in the day.

"#KarunNair is not in his teens to be in the reserves and watched by the team management. If he is picked, he plays given the form he is in, or if there is no slot for him, he should not be picked," WV Raman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Karun Nair continues to script records

Karun Nair has been on a record-breaking spree in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. Earlier, he had registered the feat of registering the most runs in List-A cricket without being dismissed.

Recently, Karun Nair played a whirlwind 88-run knock off just 44 balls in the semi-final against Maharashtra.

He has registered scores of 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112, 122* and 88* this season.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Karun Nair who is fondly remembered for his triple century against England in 2016, said that he wants to make a comeback into the national side.

“Everyone hopes to be part of the Indian cricket team because it's such an amazing setup. Everyone wants to play for their country. And so do I. I have always believed and dreamed of playing for my country again,” said Karun Nair.

“I will keep doing whatever I can in every match to push for that case. But again, see, only scoring runs is in my hand, and everything else is not in my hand. So all I am looking forward to do is keep scoring in every game that I play,” he added.

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