Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has encouraged team management to be more patient with the misfiring batter.
Karun Nair has faced criticism from Indian fans for failing to grasp opportunities in the upcoming Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. The right-handed hitter returned to the international squad after an eight-year absence, but his return has not been remarkable.
In six innings, he has only scored 131 runs at an average of 21.83. What’s more depressing is that he hasn’t appeared out of place and has even gotten off to a good start practically every time he has stepped up to bat. However, he has not been able to go on to achieve a high score. His top score was 40 in the first innings of the Lord’s Test.
He mentioned that players like Shubman Gill and KL Rahul were given long ropes when they were striving to establish themselves in the team. Harbhajan argued that the criteria should be consistent for everyone. However, the cricketer-turned-commentator stated that the Shubman-led side’s decision to leave Sai Sudharsan out of the playing XI despite giving him his debut in the first Test at Leeds was not a good one.
“Yes, Karun hasn’t scored runs, but if you give him a chance, stick with him for a while. Every athlete deserves a fair chance. Karun deserves it today, just as Shubman Gill and KL Rahul had in the past,” Harbhajan remarked in a video posted to his YouTube page.
“The criteria should be the same for everyone. If others received five or six changes, what crime did Karun commit? I believe that giving Sai Sudharsan only one opportunity was unjustified, but now that you’ve stuck with Karun, playing him here was fine,” he continued.
Gautam is doing very well as a coach: Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan also supported his former India teammate Gautam Gambhir, who is the current head coach of the Indian team. The 45-year-old mentioned that Gambhir should be given a bit more time as the team is going through a transition phase.
“Gautam is doing very well as a coach, and he has been a very good player for Team India. This is his first big tour after Australia. It takes time for anyone to get into the role, and the team is also changing. A lot of things are happening very fast. If we say that the results have been like these after Gautam’s arrival, then it’s not right. Gautam is not the one to be blamed. He himself doesn’t play,” Harbhajan said.
Harbhajan also mentioned that he is not interested in taking up a coaching role for the Men in Blue. However, he will be interested if an opportunity to mentor the side comes up.
“I cannot do coaching, but I can be a mentor who talks to the team, gives pep talks, and thinks about how to take the team forward. If I can contribute even a little bit, then I am always available.”
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