"You have to be undropabble" - Sunil Gavaskar urges discarded Indian batter to look up to Karun Nair after snub ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has urged Sarfaraz Khan to take inspiration from Karun Nair after the former's snub from the Test squad to face England. He reckons players must make themselves undroppable once they get into the team.

Nair, the right-handed batter, returned to the 18-man Test squad for the England tour and is in line to play his first red-ball game for India in seven years. The 33-year-old finished the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 as the fourth-highest run-getter with 863 runs in nine matches at 53.93.

Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar recalled how Jaydev Unadkat bided his time and kept delivering performances to earn an India call-up. The veteran elaborated:

"Even Jaydev played his first Test at a very young age, and then it took 13 years or so to play another Test. He persevered, he went on picking wickets in domestic cricket. Like Unadkat, Karun has scoring kept on scoring big hundreds. That's why the selection committee had to bring him back. A man in form is one of your best bets."

"He is scoring runs, he also got the experience of County Championships. You have to be undropabble. We have seen in the past, if a team loses a series, the guys who are 13th, 14th, 15th in the squad get dropped. You have to take your chances."

Nair had notably scored a triple hundred against England in his debut series, belting 303* off 381 deliveries. However, he has managed only 374 runs in six Tests, averaging a mighty 62.33.

"It's entirely up to you to ensure you cement that spot" - Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar also felt it was harsh to drop Sarfaraz Khan due to the lack of opportunities through which the youngster could have displayed his form. He said:

"It's tough, that's what cricket is all about. When you get opportunities, you have to make sure the place is yours. Even if you score a hundred, you should make sure that you don't go into your next innings thinking you scored a hundred in the previous knock. I think it's a tough call because after the tour of Australia, there was no red-ball cricket. Yes, there was the Ranji Trophy, but he was injured. So, he didn't play. There was no way he could show what his form was."

With Rohit Sharma also retiring from Tests, Shubman Gill has succeeded him in the role ahead of the England tour.