Karun Nair shared a cryptic post on social media expressing his frustration at not being in the Indian Test squad for the home series against South Africa. The Indian batsman returned to the Test team for the England tour but has since been left out.
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“Some conditions have a feel you know by heart — and the silence of not being outside adds its own sting,” he shared on his X handle.
Since being dropped from the Test team, Nair has been in good form playing in the Ranji Trophy. In the 5 matches he played for Karnataka, he scored over 600 runs at an average of over 100. However, he was not considered for selection in the Indian Test squad for the two-match home series against South Africa. Instead, the Indian team decided to give Washington Sundar rides at No.3 in the Calcutta Test and then gave Sai Sudharsan a chance in the 2nd Guwahati Test as well.
With batting inexperience compounded by the absence of Shubman Gill due to a neck injury sustained in the first innings of the Kolkata Test, India find themselves in a precarious position with the likes of Sudharsan at 3 and Dhruv Jurel at 4 – trying to make the most of their chances.
Interestingly, the last time India won after conceding 400+ runs in the first innings was against England in 2016 where Karun Nair smashed a triple century in Chennai. Despite the obvious hole in the batting unit, Nair was only given the short rope during the England tour and had to shuffle between No. 3 and No. 6 in the batting order.
When asked the reasons Karun Nair’s smile from the West Indies series earlier, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar admitted that they expected a lot more from the veteran batsman.
“Honestly, we expected a bit more from Karun. He played four Tests and you were talking about one innings. That’s it. We feel Padikkal is offering a bit more at the moment. Wish we could give each 15-20 Tests,” commented Agarkar.
Given the paucity of runs from the middle order, the question arises whether India would be better off giving someone experienced like Karun Nair a chance, rather than throwing in young talents like Sai Sudharsan or Dhruv Jurel, given India’s position in the series. India are currently facing a second whitewash at home and possibly ending their chances of reaching the final of the World Test Championship as well.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
November 24, 2025
