Sitanshu Kotak Breaks Silence On Karun Nair's Benching: 'Coach & Captain Can Talk...'

Sitanshu Kotak Breaks Silence On Karun Nair's Benching: 'Coach & Captain Can Talk...'

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News18.com

Last Updated: July 27, 2025, 07:28 IST

Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has commented on Karun Nair's exclusion from Manchester Test, advising to ask coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for details.

Karun Nair (AP Photo)

Indian team batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has said that one should ask coach Gautam Gambhir and Test skipper Shubman Gill about Karun Nair’s exclusion from the Manchester Test, despite the latter ensuring that the team will back the veteran batter during the series.

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The England tour was meant to be Nair‘s one final shot at redemption. After an eight-year hiatus, he returned to the Indian team, earning a call-up on the back of a record-breaking domestic season.

Amidst speculation that Nair might have run out of opportunities, Gill put the rumours to rest during the pre-match press conference, backing the former and shutting down talk of any changes to the playing XI for the Manchester Test.

Addressing the media at the end of the fourth day in Manchester, Kotak opened up about the decision to leave Nair out.

“The matter of selection is obviously on Gautam and the captain. Gill said that we will back Nair. It means that in this series, the way he has batted, he has not done badly. He has a good start every time," Kotak said.

“Now sometimes, if the team management feels that at this stage, maybe in the 4th Test, pressure can be on him and if we can change, we do it. It doesn’t mean that the team management will not back him," Kotak added.

It remains to be seen whether India will continue with Nair beyond the current England tour. Despite the chance created by the Test retirements of ace India batter Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in May, Nair has still not bagged a permanent spot in the playing XI.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, July 26, having lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan for no run in the second innings, Gill (78 batting off 167 balls) and KL Rahul (87 batting off 210 balls) showed plenty of patience in their 174-run partnership to cut England’s huge 311-run lead.

At stumps on the fourth day, India stood at 174/2 after two wicketless sessions, still trailing the hosts by 137 runs.

It was hara-kiri in the middle as Jaiswal and Sudharsan departed in consecutive deliveries in the first over of India’s innings.

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First Published: July 27, 2025, 07:23 IST

News cricket Sitanshu Kotak Breaks Silence On Karun Nair's Benching: 'Coach & Captain Can Talk...'

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