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Karun Nair Reacts to West Indies Test Series Snub

Indian batter Karun Nair has been left out of the 15-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against West Indies.

Indian batter Karun Nair has been left out of the 15-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against West Indies. Nair, who played in the recent series against England, finished with an average of 25.62, scoring 205 runs in four matches, including a crucial half-century in the final Test at The Oval.

According to BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, the team expected stronger performances from Nair and chose Devdutt Padikkal instead. Reacting to the snub, Nair expressed his disappointment, saying only the selectors could explain the decision, while also highlighting the importance of his fifty at The Oval.

Karun Nair Reacts After Missing West Indies Tests

Yes, I was expecting to be selected. Honestly, I don’t know what to say… I’m short of words. I don’t have much to comment, it’s really difficult for me to explain,” Nair told The Times of India.

“Maybe you should ask the selectors what was on their mind. In the last Test, I scored a fifty when no one else did in the first innings, and I felt that contribution was important in our win. But at the end of the day, it is what it is, those things don’t seem to matter,” he added.

Ajit Agarkar Explains the Selectors’ Decision

Earlier, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the reason behind Karun Nair’s exclusion from the squad.

“To be honest, we expected a bit more from him. He has played four Tests, and while one innings was good, overall the contributions were not enough. At this stage, we feel Devdutt Padikkal offers a little more. Of course, I wish every player got 15–20 Tests to prove themselves, but that’s not how it works,” Agarkar said.

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He also backed Padikkal, highlighting the youngster’s impressive performance for India A in the unofficial Test against Australia A.

“Padikkal has already been part of the Test squad, he toured Australia and also played in Dharamsala against England, where he scored a fifty. He has shown good form with India A as well. Honestly, we expected a little more from Karun during the England series,” Agarkar added.

India Test Squad vs West Indies

Indian Squad:

• Captain: Shubman Gill

• Vice-Captain: Ravindra Jadeja

• Yashasvi Jaiswal

• KL Rahul

• Sai Sudharsan

• Devdutt Padikkal

• Wicketkeepers: Dhruv Jurel, N. Jagadeesan

• Nitish Reddy

• Washington Sundar

• Axar Patel

• Kuldeep Yadav

• Jasprit Bumrah

• Mohammed Siraj

• Prasidh Krishna