Karun Nair has been left out of the India A squad for the two-match unofficial Test series against Australia A in Lucknow. Karun Nair’s snub from the India A squad was a clear hint that the 33-year-old’s international career is all but over.The Karnataka batter Karun Nair , who had cracked a sensational triple century against England in 2016, had made a comeback earlier this year for the England tour after nearly nine years. Karun Nair was selected for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy but failed to make a significant impact in England.
Karun Nair could manage only one fifty across six innings in his comeback Test series, which sealed his fate with the Indian cricket team. There is a high chance that he might not get another chance to sport whites for the country. With India looking to rebuild its Test squad ahead of the home season, many expected the Karnataka batter to be a key part of the plan.
But the Indian selectors have decided to move on from Karun Nair, bringing in fresh faces and emerging talent instead for the two four-day matches against Australia A. Even the Indian selectors have not made any comment on why Nair was not picked in the India A squad or mentioned anything about his injury recovery.
Notably, Karun Nair suffered a finger injury at The Oval, which also kept him out of the Maharaja T20 League. But whether this played a role in the decision remains unclear. No official statement has been made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
This snub has fuelled speculation that the national selectors have quietly dropped him from the team. It is being said that this is the end of his international career, and the England tour was his last series. Nair is unlikely to be picked for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies at home.
Notably, Karun Nair has played 10 Tests and 2 ODIs for India, scoring 579 and 46 runs, respectively. However, he has been a giant in domestic cricket with over 8600 first-class runs, 3128 List-A runs, and 3660 runs in T20 cricket so far.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) left quite a few in the Indian cricketing spectrum surprised by naming Shreyas Iyer the captain of the India A side for the Australia A series. After Iyer’s snub for India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad triggered a huge controversy, the selection committee seems to be creating a path for the middle-order batter to become a more important player for the national team. However, Iyer’s elevation to the India A squad also raises questions over the spot of Karun Nair in the Test side.
Though no concrete message has been sent by the BCCI over Nair’s future, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra does feel that the selectors have moved on from him, after a disappointing England tour.
Aakash Chopra justifies Karun Nair’s non-selection for IND A vs AUS A matches in 2025
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra says Shreyas Iyer’s elevation as India A captain for the two multi-day games against Australia A signals something big for the Mumbai batter. He also stated that the absence of Karun Nair means that it might be the end of his comeback in the Indian team.
Shreyas Iyer was left out of the Asia Cup 2025 squad by the BCCI selectors, and it caused a lot of backlash for their decision. However, Iyer’s good performances for Mumbai and for India seemed to be rewarded by India A captaincy and possibly his coming back into the Test team contention.
However, Karun Nair’s exclusion from the India A squad seems like the selectors have moved on from the Karnataka batter. Iyer’s return to the national team’s red-ball squad appears to be a top priority for the BCCI. Karun Nair was not mentioned, despite the fact that players like Abhimanyu Easwaran, B Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, and others were named in the India A team.
“Shreyas Iyer is the captain of India A for the multi-day matches against Australia A. Dhruv Jurel is the vice-captain. Abhimanyu Easwaran used to be the captain, but that is no longer the case. He is a member of the team, but he is not the captain. If you see the last few tours, there has always been a new captain. The leadership of late has been a case of musical chairs,” said Chopra in a video on his YouTube channel.
“Why has Shreyas been elevated as the captain? It is because the No.3 and No.6 slots in tests are still open. Sai Sudharsan and Easwaran are also in the squad, but Karun Nair is not there. It is a big step because Karun asked for a second chance, and he was given that. He performed okay-okay; he was shuffled up and down the batting order. I thought the upcoming West Indies series would see Karun Nair being included,” he added.
Chopra also stated that Iyer becoming India A captain for red-ball matches might also mean his comeback into the Indian Test team for the West Indies and South Africa series at home. This also might hint at the end for Karun Nair in the Indian team, after his lukewarm return in the England series.
Nair, who made a comeback into the Indian Test team for the first time since 2017, made 205 runs in 4 Tests with one fifty at an average of 25.62. He got several starts but failed to capitalize on them.
“Unfortunately, it looks like you won’t see Karun Nair playing further. He is not unavailable. He is fit and then not picked; it seems that the selectors have decided to look past Karun Nair. Shreyas is interesting. He was not picked for the Asia Cup, and there was a lot of backlash. Now he finds himself at the helm of India A team,” said Chopra.
“Looking at the Indian team’s next few assignments, you would think that Shreyas will play two of the three formats. He plays ODIs, and I think he would get a chance in Tests in the upcoming series against the West Indies and South Africa. With the kind of pitches there are in India, I think he will score runs. The door has opened up for him, and nicely,” he added.
Star India batter Karun Nair, who had a much-discussed and observed return to international cricket in the recent five-match Test series in England, has been left out of India A’s squad that will take on Australia A in two four-day matches later this month. Karun Nair was last seen in action in the fifth and final Test of the England series at the Oval, where he scored a crucial and much-needed half-century in the first innings.
Karun Nair also left Vidarbha for Karnataka ahead of the start of the domestic season but wasn’t named in the South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy despite being one of the most revered red-ball cricketers in the area. Karun Nair reportedly picked up an injury while batting in the fifth Test and missed the Maharaja Trophy as well. It can be assumed that he is still recuperating from it although a post on his Instagram page suggests that he is up and running at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
With the Ranji Trophy all set to start on October 15, it needs to be seen if Karnataka name Karun Nair in their squad for the premier domestic tournament, which would indicate where he stands in terms of fitness. The England Test series marked a full-circle moment for Nair, who had waited eight years for “another chance” he once pleaded for in a heartfelt social media post during his lowest point four years ago.
The journey was built on resilience, stints in England’s village greens and later the county circuit, along with a heap of runs in domestic cricket. For Karun Nair, the England Test series was underwhelming; he managed 205 runs in eight innings, with just one fifty at the Oval, which means that he isn’t guaranteed a spot in India’s squad for the upcoming home Test series against the West Indies.
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