Karun Nair breaks the silence on his exclusion from the West Indies Test series

Indian top-order batter Karun Nair, who made his comeback on the England tour after eight long years, has expressed his frustration over his exclusion from the Indian Test squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies.

It’s important to note that the two-match Test series is part of the new World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle after India levelled the five-match Test series against England 2-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Speaking to The Times of India, Karun Nair has asserted that he expected the selection for the upcoming home series and also shared that selectors might know the exact reason behind his exclusion. 

"Yes, I did expect the selection. I don't know what to say. No words. I don't have many comments to make. It's very difficult for me to answer," he told the Times of India.

"You should probably ask the selectors what they are thinking. The only thing is, in the last Test match, I scored a fifty when no one else managed in the first innings. So, yeah, I thought I contributed to the team, especially in the last game that we won. But, yeah, it is what it is. Those things don't matter," he added.

Speaking about Karun Nair’s exclusion, the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, has reckoned that they expected a little bit more from the top-order batter on the England tour. Notably, they went ahead with Devdutt Padikkal as Nair’s replacement.

"I mean obviously, frankly, we expected a little bit more from him, he has played four Tests. We have spoken about one innings. As the way it is, I mean, we feel Padikkal (Devdutt) offers a little bit more at this point, and I wish we could have given everyone 15 or 20 Tests. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way,” Agarkar said after announcing the squad.

"Padikkal's been in the Test squad. I mean, he was in the Test squad in Australia. Played in Dharamsala against England, got a 50 there. He's shown some decent form with India A. Yeah, frankly, we expected a bit more from Karun on the England trip," he added.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!