Reports: Anger in Indian management over Karun Nair and Murali Vijay axing row

The Indian Cricket Team management is angered at the row that has ensued from the axing of Karun Nair and Murali Vijay from the Indian Test squad. Both players were dropped from the side ahead of India’s two-match Test series against the Windies. It is unlikely that the duo will make it back to India’s Test squad for the all-important tour of Australia later this year.

Murali Vijay had a forgettable series against England. He played the first two Test matches and managed to score only 20-odd runs in 4 innings. He was immediately axed for the remainder of the series, while newcomers Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari were brought in to the side. Eventually it was KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan who took up the opening slots for the last three Tests against England.

Karun Nair’s case has however been very different. He was part of the squad that travelled to England, but Nair wasn’t given a single game during the 5-match Test series. When the selectors announced the squad for the Windies Tests, Nair was not included, much to the surprise of the cricketing fraternity. The Indian management was slammed for axing Nair without having given him a single game. Karun Nair had earlier scored a triple-century against England in his debut Test series.

Has there been lack of communication from the management?

Both Vijay and Nair have claimed that there was no communication from the management regarding reasons behind their omission from the side, which has raised a big debate. According to a recent report in the Times of India, sources close to the selectors had said that they had indeed communicated with the players. However, the players denied having had any form of communication with the management.

“Someone is clearly not telling the truth here. Now, either it’s the players or it’s the selectors. If they (BCCI/CoA) want to understand this better, why not just make the captain, coach, the senior cricketers and selectors sit across the table and hear them out? It’ll be immediately clear who is lying and who is not,” the source was quoted as saying.

The series against the Windies will be followed by a lengthy tour of Australia in November, where Virat Kohli’s men will play a series in all three formats.

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