IND vs ENG: Karun Nair Excluded Despite Strong Domestic Performance, India’s ODI Squad for England Series Announced

By

Avijit Das

Indian captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar held a press conference on Saturday, during which the Indian team for the Champions Trophy 2025 was announced. Additionally, the team for the 3-match ODI series against England was also selected.

One change was made between the Champions Trophy 2025 team and the ODI series squad. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is recovering from an injury, was not selected for the ODI series against England. Instead, Harshit Rana was included in the 15-member squad. However, Bumrah is expected to return for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Indian Team for ODI Series Against England

The Indian squad for the upcoming ODI series against England has been announced. The team consists of:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.

ODI Series Schedule:

The ODI series between India and England will begin on February 6, 2025. The schedule is as follows:

First ODI: 6 February – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
Second ODI: 9 February – Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
Third ODI: 12 February – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

All matches will start at 1:30 PM Indian time.

Update on Jasprit Bumrah’s Injury

During the press conference, Indian Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is still recovering from his injury and will not play in the ODI series against England. Harshit Rana has been included in the team as his replacement. However, Bumrah is expected to be fit for the Champions Trophy 2025. Bumrah sustained the injury during the last Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Sydney, where he experienced stiffness in his waist and did not bowl in the second innings.

Karun Nair’s Record-Breaking Form Raises Questions on Squad Exclusion

The 33-year-old batter has been in remarkable form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, scoring a record-breaking 752 runs, the most in a single edition of the tournament. Nair’s outstanding performances include five centuries, with scores like 112*, 163*, and 122*. He also set a world record for the most runs in List A cricket without being dismissed, surpassing New Zealand’s James Franklin.

Despite his stellar run, Nair’s exclusion from the national squad has surprised many. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar acknowledged his performance, saying, “He has earned our attention. Conversations will continue if a spot opens up due to injury, but with players averaging over 40, it’s tough to find space in the team right now.”



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