Harbhajan questions the value of domestic cricket after Karun Nair misses out on Champions Trophy squad

The exclusion of Karun Nair from the ICC Champions Trophy squad was a major talking point during the press conference held by India captain Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar on Saturday. Despite his remarkable performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 50-over tournament, where he set several records, Karun has not been selected for the national team since his last Test match in March 2017. Former spinner Harbhajan Singh has raised concerns about the lack of recognition for domestic cricket excellence like Karun's, questioning the purpose of playing at that level if it doesn't lead to international opportunities.

"Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don’t pick players based on form & performance ? #KarunNair," said Harbhajan in a post on his X account. Nair, who shifted his domestic cricket base to Vidarbha, has gone on an astonishing run of form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. The middle-order batter scored 752 runs in 7 matches, with an astonishing average of 752, which included five centuries.

Despite his astonishing numbers, Nair failed to make the cut as the selectors went ahead with KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the middle-order.

Ajit Agarkar on why India didn't select Karun Nair

Agarkar acknowledged Nair's stellar average but asserted that it's extremely difficult to fit everyone into the squad. “I mean, those are really special performances and I mean someone who averages about 700+, 750 + or something, we did have a chat, no doubt about it, when those kind of performances happen. At the moment, to find a spot in this team is very difficult,” Agarkar said in the press conference.

Nair's sensational exploits powered Vidarbha to the tournament's final against Karnataka, which started a few hours after the press conference. For once Nair failed to fire, being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna on 27 off 31 balls. His form this season has however made a huge splash, with batting legend Sachin Tendulkar terming his performances "nothing short of extraordinary."

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