Suresh Raina Concerned About Two Major Omissions Besides Karun Nair From CT, Says They Are Being Overlooked

When India's Champions Trophy squad was announced on Saturday, there was a notable absence that left many cricket pundits surprised, including Harbhajan Singh. The right-handed batter Karun Nair, aged 33, had been in exceptional form during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring a whopping 779 runs in just eight innings with an average of 389.50. Despite his impressive performance, it seemed unlikely that Nair would make a comeback to the national team after seven years since his last appearance for India. Former India batter Suresh Raina shared a similar sentiment, acknowledging the tough competition in the team with numerous talented players vying for limited spots. In the end, Nair lost out to younger and more promising players, highlighting the fierce competition in Indian cricket.

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair, known for his triple century against England in 2016, recorded scores of 112*, 44*, 163*, 111*, 112, 122*, 88* and 27. During the tournament, Karun also broke the record of scoring the most runs in List-A cricket without being dismissed.

"Karun Nair, hats off to his dedication. Scoring 700 runs with a remarkable average at a very big strike rate. I am sure his name would have been discussed. Going ahead, there are a lot of matches. When he scored 300 in a Test match, I think he was pretty unlucky to be dropped. But he showed how much he wants to play First-Class cricket and perform," Suresh Raina said while replying to a Hindustan Times query during a Star Sports Press Room session.

"I feel selectors must be looking forward to giving him a chance going ahead. But if you look at this squad, even Suryakumar Yadav isn't there. No one is even talking about Nitish Kumar Reddy. He had an outstanding performance in Australia. He can bat anywhere. Making a good combination would hold the key. Even the match against Pakistan will be tough as they defeated Australia in Australia. Making the playing XI would be very important," he added further in his response.

Nair hit five centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and his sensational form was one reason Vidarbha reached the final. The batter's only failure came against Karnataka in the final, which Vidarbha lost to finish runner-up.

'Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are tigers'

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are proven performers in ICC white-ball events and ODI cricket. However, the experienced duo will head into the upcoming Champions Trophy with questions raised about their form. Kohli has 529 runs in 13 matches in the Champions Trophy, while Rohit Sharma has 481 runs in 10.

However, Raina believes both seniors will make it count in the Champions Trophy as they know how to perform when the going gets tough. "When a big, reputed batter is out of form, he wants to make it count the next time he goes out to the middle. The player always wants to make the team and live up to his reputation," said Raina while replying to another Hindustan Times query.

"Both of them are not in form, but they are tigers. Virat Kohli at No.3 and Rohit Sharma as an opener, both can make the team win on their own," he added.

The Champions Trophy begins February 19. India will open their campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai.

Rohit and Co. are placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand. The much-hyped contest between India and Pakistan will take place on February 23 in Dubai.

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