Last Updated: July 23, 2025 09:03 PM
India’s cricket team captain Shubman Gill is in the headlines these days, but the reason is not good.
The decision to drop Karun Nair from the team in the ongoing fourth Test match against England in Manchester has raised questions on Gill’s leadership.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has strongly criticized this decision and said that Gill missed a big opportunity to earn respect as a captain.
Nair Dropped Despite Comeback Hopes
Karun Nair, who returned to the Indian team after 8 years on the basis of excellent performance in domestic cricket, could not do anything special in this series.
His batting was lackluster in the first three Tests, where he scored just 131 runs at an average of 21.83. His best score was 40 runs. Still, Kaif believes that Gill should have given Nair another chance.
Sai Sudarshan was given a chance in place of Nair, after which Kaif vented his anger on social media.
Kaif criticizes Gill for dropping Karun Nair
Kaif tweeted, “Today was Shubman Gill’s chance to back karun who was down but deserved one more chance. He should have picked Karun Nair. Chance missed to earn the respect when it comes to making tough decisions as a leader.”
Kaif says that if Sudarshan scores runs in this Test, then Nair’s journey in the Indian team may end.
Losing Tosses, Losing Hope in Manchester
India is trailing 1-2 in this series and is desperate to win the Manchester Test. Gill made two more changes besides Nair.
Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj were included in place of injured Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy. But the decision to drop Nair was not liked by the fans and experts.
India’s record in Manchester has also not been anything special. India played 9 Tests at Old Trafford, but did not win a single one.
On the other hand, England has won 14 out of 20 Tests here since 2000. India’s problems are further compounded as the team has lost 14 consecutive tosses.
England has won all four tosses in this series, which is increasing the challenge for India.
Kaif believes that Gill should have supported a senior player like Nair. This decision can not only affect Nair’s career but is also raising questions on Gill’s captaincy.
