Karun Nair’s snub was expected, but fans also hoped that he would get one more chance. But Ajit Agarkar said the obvious, as the chief selector pointed out that the Indian team expected more from Nair in the recent England Tests.
In England, the right-handed batter got chances at No. 3 and No. 6 but failed to impress and at times looked out of depth.
Nair’s absence from the West Indies squad saw the inclusion of Devdutt Padikkal, who was in good form against Australia A and scored a 150-run knock.
Irfan Pathan on Karun Nair’s snub
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan predicted the end of Nair’s international career for India, when he was starting to make a comeback after a long hiatus.
“Jurel played well against Australia A and now he has been rewarded with a berth in the squad. He was also in the team though. But Devdutt Padikkal, he got a huge knock vs Australia A and now he has got a chance. Karun Nair, who played only one series and was fine, he didn’t play that good too. The team is looking beyond him”, he said.
“Now it feels like from here onwards, he won’t get any more chances. But Padikkal is young and he will get more chances in the future. This is a clear indication”, he further added.
Against England, Nair got a second chance to rebuild his international career, which had stopped after his triple ton against England in 2016. But in the four Tests vs England, he could only muster 205 runs in eight innings at an average of 25.62.
Regarding Nair’s snub, Agarkar said during a press conference, “We expected more from Karun Nair in England. It cannot be about just one innings. Devdutt Padikkal offers more options to us. We want to give at least 15-20 chances to every player but it is not possible every time.”