Karun Nair axed as Karnataka State Cricket Association turns to its young brigade

BENGALURU: Lack of consistency caught up with middle-order batter Karun Nair, who was on Tuesday omitted from the list of probables named by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament beginning next month.The 30-year-old, who was the second highest run-getter for Karnataka in the previous edition of the tournament, failed to make the 25-player cut. The list will be pruned to 15 before the team leaves for Mohali for the tournament beginning on October 11.In 39 Mushtaq Ali matches since 2018, Karun has scored 782 runs, which includes four half-centuries, at an average which is a shade below 25.Speaking to TOI on Karun’s exclusion, state senior selection committee chairman Fazal Khaleel said, “We can’t pick a player of his stature among probables if he is not going to make the final cut of 15. Karun was a proven performer and we gave him a long run. But, he failed to live up to his reputation.” “Also, there are a lot of youngsters coming in and it is only fair that they are rewarded for their consistency. Cricket in the state is in a transitional phase and it is necessary for us to look ahead and groom youngsters. This was the thought process of the selection committee,” he added.Chethan LR and Rohan Patil, the batting sensations of the KSCA Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament and the state league, have been rewarded along with other youngsters like Smaran R and Nikin Jose. Spin all-rounder Shubhang Hegde too made the cut on current form. The bowling looks tried and tested, barring the likes of Aditya Goyal, Rishi Bopanna, Venkatesh M and Manoj Bhandage.Notable among those who didn’t make the cut from the last edition of the competition were KV Siddharth, R Samarth, Rohan Kadam and Anirudha Joshi. Lead pace bowler Prasidh Krishna and spinner Pravin Dubey were not considered as they are yet to recover from injuries.Teams to be picked based on formatKhaleel pointed out that all was not lost for senior pros who did not make the cut, since probables for various BCCI tournaments would be picked based on the format. “This season, we are looking at building teams based on form and format, not just reputation of the players,” he added.Probables: Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Chethan LR, Rohan Patil, Manish Pandey, Abhinav Manohar, Smaran R, Luvnith Sisodia, Sharath BR, Nihal Ullal, Gowtham K, Shreyas Gopal, Rishi Bopanna, Ritesh Bhatkal, Suchith J, Shubhang Hegde, Koushik V, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Vidyadhar Patil, Venkatesh M, Aditya Goyal, Manoj Bhandage, Vidwath Kaverappa, Nikin Jose, Cariappa KC. Coach: PV Shashikanth; Manager: Anutosh Poll.