Karun Nair Breaks Silence on Test Snub: ‘I Deserved a Lot Better’

Karun Nair revealed that he was disappointed to be dropped from the Test team after just one series, believing he deserved more chances based on his performances.

Karun Nair faced disappointment after being dropped from India’s Test squad following the England tour. He managed 205 runs in eight innings across four Tests and was subsequently left out of the home series against the West Indies. He also missed selection for the India A matches against Australia A and South Africa A.

Returning to domestic cricket, Nair responded with a superb 174 off 267 balls, hitting 14 fours and 3 sixes for Karnataka against Goa in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B game in Shimoga.

Reflecting on his exclusion, he said he expected a longer run considering his performances over the past two years. Nair then mentioned that a few players from the national setup had shared their thoughts with him privately, though it didn’t ease the disappointment.

“Obviously, it is quite disappointing. After the last two years I’ve had, I think I deserved a lot better. More than a series. There are certain individuals in the (Indian) team who have had good conversations with me about how they felt. That’s about it,” he told the reporters.

“It does get into the head. But the second thought would be to do your job, which is to score runs and let people have their opinions. Honestly, what target can I have next? All I want to do is to play for the country. If you’re not able to do that, the next thing would be to try and win games for the side you are playing for,” Karun Nair added.

READ ALSO | Rohit Sharma Plans to Play Until 2027 World Cup, Says Coach Dinesh Lad

Notably, Karun Nair’s return to Test cricket during India’s England tour was far from ideal. He began with a four-ball duck in the first innings of the opening Test and later recorded scores of 20, 31, 26, 40, 14, 57, and 17. Nair couldn’t convert his starts into big scores, leaving his comeback short-lived.