Sachin Tendulkar gives special shoutout to Karun Nair a day before Ajit Agarkar reveals India's Champions Trophy squad

Karun Nair is currently in the mind of every Indian cricket fan, as the veteran continued his sizzling run of form to smack an unbeaten 44-ball 88 in Vidarbha’s Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final win vs Maharashtra. Nair’s performance was key as his side now take on Karnataka in the final, his former team. Against Maharashtra, it looked like Nair would get his fifth straight List A century. But his failure to get another ton wasn't because he lost his wicket, it was due to him running out of time. Sachin Tendulkar joined the Karun Nair bandwagon a day before Ajit Agarkar names India's Champions Trophy squad.

With two overs remaining and on 51 off 35 balls, Nair clobbered four sixes and three fours. It saw a sequence of 4, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6 in the final over vs Rajneesh Gurbani. Nair took his tournament tally to 752 runs, being dismissed only once. After being put in to bat for the first time in the tournament, Vidarbha posted 380/3, with the last seven overs producing 108 runs, courtesy of Nair’s late blitz. Maharashtra could only reach 311/7 in 50 overs in their run-chase, as Darshan Nalkande and Nachiket Bhute took three-wicket hauls for Vidarbha.

Nair’s Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign has also made him a favourite to make a comeback into the Team India setup, especially with the poor form of senior players. Nair’s exile from the Indian team is still a mystery for fans. He made his India debut in 2016, and in his short international career, he got a triple ton in his third Test, which was also his maiden century. But then, his international career was abruptly brought to a hold after only six Tests. He is also currently the highest run-scorer at the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 752 runs in eight matches with an average of 752.

Karun Nair receives special shoutout from Sachin Tendulkar

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, India legend Sachin Tendulkar joined the bandwagon of former players, who have suddenly been calling for the selection of Nair and had a message for Ajit Agarkar.

He wrote, “Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, “karun126. Performances like these don’t just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!”

Speaking on Lallantop recently, former player Robin Uthappa controversially blamed selection politics for Nair’s exile.

When will the Indian Champions Trophy squad be announced?

The 2025 Champions Trophy is upcoming and is scheduled to begin on February 19. Considering the poor form of India’s senior batters, the presence of someone like an in-form Nair could be the perfect solution to Gautam Gambhir’s struggles. The BCCI selection committee, led by Agarkar, are set to announce the Indian Champions Trophy squad on January 18, in a press conference in Mumbai.

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