"I Deserved Better": Karun Nair Doesn't Mince Words, Slams BCCI, Ajit Agarkar Over Selection Snub

One of the most consistent batters in domestic cricket over the last couple of years, Karun Nair was rewarded for his consistency in red-ball cricket as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee named him in the India squad for the five-match series in England. With 1,533 runs to his name in two Ranji Trophy campaigns, Karun was confident of earning the recall. But little did he anticipate that his stay at the Indian cricket's top tier would only last for one series.

Karun played a pivotal role in helping Vidarbha win the Ranji Trophy last season. His Don Bradman-esque average in domestic red-ball cricket, however, didn't convert to useful performances on the England tour. The batter aggregated a total of 205 runs in eight innings at 25.62 with one half-century. The stats weren't enough for the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to pick him for the West Indies series or even the India A games against South Africa A.

"Obviously, it is quite disappointing. After the last two years I've had, I think I deserved a lot better. More than a series," he said on the sidelines of Karnataka's Ranji Trophy match against Goa on Sunday. "There are certain individuals in the [Indian] team who have had good conversations with me about how they felt. That's about it. 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."

When asked about his next target in professional cricket, Karun said that he isn't giving up the dream of playing for the national team.

"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."

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was asked about Karun Nair's non-selection when the squad for the West Indies series was named. He said that ideally, he would've liked to give more chances to the Vidarbha batter, but his performances on the tour of England weren't enough to justify an extension.

"We expected more from him (in England). He played four Tests, and there was just one fifty. We would like to give 15 to 20 chances to everyone, but unfortunately, it does not work that way," Agarkar had said.

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