Karun Nair wanted one more chance. The Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI Selection Committee gave him eight in England. But the Karnataka man failed to make those opportunities count, averaging just 25.62 in England and could only score a single half-century on pitches that were helpful for batting. As a result, the same selection committee has dropped him from the India squad for West Indies Test series, saying, “we expected more from Karun”, despite promising him a long rope.
As things stand, it is the end for Karun Nair. Instead, his Karnaaka teammate Devdutt Padikkal is now being considered as the replacement going forward at No 5 or 6.
“We expected more from Karun Nair. It can’t be just one innings. Padikkal offers more. We would like to give 15-20 chances to everyone. But it is not possible in these circumstances. Padikkal has been in great form, and he was in the team,” Ajit Agarkar said at the press conference in Dubai after announcing the India squad for West Indies Test series.
What went wrong for Karun Nair?
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli calling it quits from Test cricket and both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara out of the setup, Karun Nair had the best opportunity. He could have been India’s answer at No 3 or 6. And Nair did his best to get back to that position with a stellar show in domestic cricket.
Nair averaged 42.50 in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in six innings before hitting the top gear in Vijay Hazare Trophy. He smashed four consecutive centuries, averaging a staggering 389.50. Nair extended his form in Ranji Trophy, averaging 53.94 in 16 innings. Even on IPL return, he played a masterful knock against Mumbai Indians, dominating Jasprit Bumrah. For India A in the warm-up match against England, Nair scored a double century. But that’s where it ended.
Even though he got good starts, scoring 20-30s, he could never capitalise on them. Nair struggled against the extra pace of Jofra Archer and the bouncing deliveries. His only fifty came in the 5th Test. But it wasn’t enough to keep him in the Test squad. As Nair is already 33 years old, the selectors decided to back youngsters like Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal.
Karun Nair vs England
| Match | 1st Inns | 2nd Inns |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 0 (4) | 20 (54) |
| 2nd Test | 31 (50) | 26 (46) |
| 3rd Test | 40 (62) | 14 (33) |
| 4th Test | Dropped | |
| 5th Test | 57 (109) | 17 (32) |
Is it the over for Karun Nair?
Yes, it is. At 33, Nair does not have a long career ahead. And if Team India are to make the WTC Final 2027 and prepare for the next cycle, India would need to back the youngsters. The likes of Sudharsan, Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Manav Suthar, Dhurv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and many more are waiting for a long rope.
Karun Nair could have had a chance had he played in Duleep Trophy or for India A before the IND vs WI Test series. However, Nair returned with a finger injury from England and hasn’t played any matches since. With no performance to show for and Padikkal scoring a half-century in Duleep Trophy and a century against Australia A, he got the nod.
India’s squad for West Indies Tests
Shubman Gill (C), KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Narayan Jagadeesan (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, B Sai Sudharsan
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