'Good to see clear statement from Ajit Agarkar' - Karun Nair reacts after Champions Trophy snub

Vidarbha batter Karun Nair responded to BCCI's (Board of Control for Cricket in India) chief selector Ajit Agarkar's statement regarding why he was not picked in India's squad for the ICC Champions Trophy despite his awe-inspiring performances in domestic cricket.

Nair has scored for fun in the 2024-25 season, amassing 779 runs from just eight innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The batter has also played a crucial role for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy 2025, helping them qualify for the semi-final of the tournament.

After his excellent run in domestic cricket, fans were rooting for his comeback to the national team during the Champions Trophy. However, the former Karnataka cricketer failed to make the cut. Ahead of the ODI series against England, Agarkar revealed that he had a conversation with Nair. After qualifying for the Ranji semifinals, Nair welcomed the statements, saying that at least he found some clarity after being kept in the dark for a long time.

"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 the press conference.

"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," Nair told RevSportz in an interview.

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"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 concluded.

Nair last played for India in 2017

For the unversed, Karun Nair's last appearance for India came in a Test match against Australia in March 2017. The 33-year-old said that he has been working hard every day with the goal of making a comeback to the Indian team.