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Why Did BCCI Pick Karun Nair Over Shreyas Iyer For England Tests? Insider Reveals

Soumyajit Dutta

Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair [Source: @ImTanujSingh/X]Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair [Source: @ImTanujSingh/X]

India's squad for the England tour was announced just a few days before with Shubman Gill at the helm as captain. However, Karun Nair's selection was questioned by some over Shreyas Iyer's who is currently in his red-hot form in the IPL.

BCCI insiders addressed the selection decision and why they preferred Shreyas Iyer over Karun Nair with a practical approach for the format without taking white-ball performances in account.

BCCI Insider Reveals Logic Behind Nair Over Iyer

As per a report from CricBlogger, BCCI sources told, "The aggressive intent of Shreyas Iyer compared to Karun Nair’s calmer demeanour at the crease is the man reason behind the Punjab Kings captain not getting picked by the selectors for the England series."

“The selectors made it clear a player’s white ball form can’t be a criteria for red ball team selection. This probably is for the first time that the selectors are deciding their teams in three formats based on the performance of a particular format,” the source added, further clarifying the decision.

The selection panel’s emphasis on format-specific performance was further highlighted in other picks. Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan secured a spot in the India A squad owing to consistent first-class displays. 

This principle also shielded Rishabh Pant, retained as Test vice-captain despite a lacklustre IPL. Conversely, Rohit Sharma’s absence from the Test squad stemmed solely from his red-ball struggles, not his T20 form.  

Hence, the policy shift underscores a clearer division between India’s red and white-ball strategies, with players now needing to prove their mettle in each arena independently.