BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained Karun Nair’s exclusion from India’s West Indies Test squad, citing his underwhelming England series performance. He added Devdutt Padikkal offers more, raising doubts over Nair’s red-ball future.
The BCCI senior men’s team chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, has revealed the reason behind Karun Nair’s exclusion from the India Test squad for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, which will take place on October 2. Agarkar announced the 15-member squad selected for the West Indies Test series at the press conference in Dubai on Thursday, September 25.
Ravindra Jadeja was appointed vice-captain as Rishabh Pant is still recovering from a fractured toe sustained during the Old Trafford Test against England in Manchester, while Jasprit Bumrah was included, and Nitish Kumar Reddy made his return to the Test squad after he was ruled out of the series against England after sustaining a knee injury during a gym session ahead of the Manchester Test.
However, one of the biggest news from the India Test squad announcement was the exclusion of Karun Nair, who made his return to red-ball cricket at the international level in the series against England. However, the veteran Karnataka batter did not have an ideal comeback as he scored 205 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 25.62 in eight innings.
‘We expected a little bit more’
Karun Nair’s exclusion was the biggest talking point, but it was not surprising as his performance in the England Test series put him under scrutiny. Speaking at the press conference, Ajit Agarkar stated that the selection committee was expecting a bit more from the veteran Indian batter in the England Tests.
He added that Devdutt Padikkal currently offers more compared to Karun, given his recent performance in the India A’s unofficial Tests against Australia A.
“Frankly we expected a little bit more. We feel Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point, and I wish we could give everyone 15 or 20 Tests. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way,” Agarkar said.
“Padikkal has been in the Test squad, he was in Australia, played against Australia, played in Dharamsala against England, got a 50. Showed decent form with India A,” he added
Scroll to load tweet…
Devdutt Padikkal is part of India A’s two unofficial Tests against Australia A. Padikkal played a brilliant innings of 150 off 281 balls in the first innings of the first unofficial Test at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Padikkal made his Test debut against England in Dharamshala, where he scored his fifty.
Padikkal has featured in only three Tests so far and scored 90 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 30.00 in three innings.
End of Road for Karun Nair in Tests?
Karun Nair’s exclusion from the Test squad for the upcoming Test series against West Indies raised questions about his future in India’s red-ball setup. Before the England Tests, Nair’s last appearance in red-ball cricket was against Australia in Dharamshala in 2017. Since then, he was not on the radar of the selectors due to his inconsistent performance in domestic cricket.
Karun Nair made his return to the Test setup following his impressive performance in the previous season of the Ranji Trophy. His brilliant run of form in the last domestic season for Vidarbha and his County stint with Northamptonshire caught the attention of the selection committee, resulting in his inclusion in the India Test squad for the England series.
However, Karun Nair failed to capitalize on this opportunity, delivering underwhelming performances in the England Test series, which ultimately led to his exclusion from the upcoming West Indies Test series. As the selectors look at the future and give opportunities to young talents and consistent performers, the veteran Karnataka batter’s chances of a long-term comeback in India’s Test setup now appear uncertain.