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Gill Missed Chance To ‘Earn Respect’ By Dropping Karun Nair: Mohammad Kaif
Follow UsNair’s axing was not unexpected but it came as a slight surprise as skipper Shubman Gill publicly backed him yesterday
Karun Nair’s Test comeback was cut short today as he was left out of the starting XI for the Old Trafford game, with Sai Sudharsan taking his place in the team. After an eight-year hiatus, Nair made his Test comeback in the first Test at Headingley but could not cross 50 even once in six attempts, failing to cash in on his starts despite the wickets being excellent to bat.
Nair’s axing was not unexpected, but it came as a slight surprise as skipper Shubman Gill publicly backed him just a day before the game, claiming that the management expects him to turn it around.
In that regard, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif took to X (formerly Twitter) to lash out at Gill, claiming that the team India skipper missed a chance to ‘earn respect’ by dropping Nair from the team, when he should ideally have backed him.
“Today was Shubman Gill's chance to back Karun who was down but deserved one more chance,” Kaif wrote on X.
“He should have picked Karun Nair. Chance missed to earn the respect when it comes to making tough decisions as a leader.”
The triple-century against England in Chennai in 2016 remains Nair’s only 50+ score in Test cricket.