Frustrated Karun Nair reacts to West Indies snub: “I scored runs when no one else managed”

Indian cricketer Karun Nair has expressed his deep frustration and disappointment after being dropped from India’s Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against the West Indies, starting October 2. Despite putting up a fighting performance in the previous series against England — where he was among the few batters to score a fifty in the final Test — the selectors opted to leave him out. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced the 15-member squad, which saw the return of Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and N. Jagadeesan (who earned his maiden call-up), while Devdutt Padikkal replaced Nair in the side.

Karun, who made a comeback to the national team after a long gap, endured a challenging tour of England. Across four Test matches, he managed only 205 runs at an average of 25.62, registering just one half-century. Reflecting on his omission, Nair expressed that he felt he had done enough to retain his place, especially after contributing a crucial fifty in the final Test innings when no other batter managed to score significantly. “The only thing is, in the last Test match, I scored a fifty when no one else managed in the first innings. I thought I contributed to the team, especially in the last game that we won. But it is what it is. Those things don’t matter,” he said.

The 33-year-old admitted that while he is disappointed with the selectors’ decision, he remains determined to bounce back by proving himself once again in domestic cricket. “There’s nothing much I can say or do to change anything. I just have to keep going. From my point of view, I’m very clear — I did my best, and they made their decision. You have to respect that,” Nair added. This marks another setback in Karun’s stop-start international career, which began with a bang when he scored a memorable triple century against England in 2016, but has since struggled for consistency and opportunities.