'Finding spot in this team is...' - Ajit Agarkar makes revelation on excluding Karun Nair from Champions Trophy 2025 squad

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed India's squad for the upcoming ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025. The squad announcement came two hours later than the scheduled time. Agarkar, along with captain Rohit Sharma, attended the press conference to unveil the squad. Many fans had been anticipating the inclusion of Karun Nair, who has been in phenomenal form in domestic cricket. However, he was not selected. Agarkar explained the reason behind this decision during the press conference.

"Someone (Karun Nair) averages 750+, those are special performances. At the moment, finding a spot in this team is difficult," said head selector Ajit Agarkar in the presser. Nair showed absolute class in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 where he amassed 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries. This is one of the best performances by any player in the domestic tournament. He averages more than 750, which is why he deserved a place in the team. 

Shubman Gill will be the vice-captain for the Champions Trophy 2025 

One of the most shocking decisions came in the presser when Ajit Agarkar announced Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the Indian team. Despite having Hardik Pandya around, who is captaincy material, the selectors went with Gill, which is pretty controversial. Gill doesn't have much experience in leadership skills, and having him around as the deputy to Rohit Sharma might turn against India in the ICC event. 

Moreover, the selectors have also dropped Mohammed Siraj from the squad, which wasn't expected. They have included Harshit Rana in the team as well in place of Jasprit Bumrah for the England series. Bumrah's availability is subjective to his fitness and as per Agarkar, he might miss two games against England. 

India's squad for Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.