Ajit Agarkar goes blunt on Karun Nair's axe: 'Expected more, not possible to give 15-20 Tests'

Ajit Agarkar goes blunt on Karun Nair's axe (Source: X)

Karun Nair's return to India's Test squad on the back of impressive performances in the domestic circuit didn't go as per plans. The 33-year-old on Thursday was dropped from the Test team as BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the squad for the upcoming two-match series against West Indies, which starts from October 2.

Devdutt Padikkal has been considered ahead of Nair and Agarkar was completely blunt while explaining the decision. "Frankly, we expected a little bit more. He’s played four Tests, but we’ve spoken about just one innings. It is the way it is. We feel we needed a little bit more at this point. We wish we could give everyone 15 or 20 Tests, but it doesn’t work that way," the former India pacer was quoted as saying by News 18.

On the decision to bring back Padikkal in the side, Agarkar said: "Padikkal has been in the Test squad against Australia, and he played in Dharamshala, where he got a fifty. He has been in decent form with India A."

Nair managed to accumulate 205 runs from eight innings at an average of 25.62, with 57 being his highest total.

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Meanwhile, the two-match series starts from October 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The second match will be played from October 10-14 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Rishabh Pant, who sustained an injury on his toe during the England tour, has not been considered. Dhruv Jurel will be donning the wicketkeeping gloves in the southpaw's absence with Narayan Jagadeesan announced as the team's second wicketkeeper.

Earlier, while announcing the India A squad for the one-days against Australia A, BCCI confirmed that Shreyas Iyer's current status in red-ball engagements after he pulled out from the second unofficial Test against Australia A in Lucknow.

India are currently third on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 table, having secured two wins, one draw, two defeats. Their win percentage is 46.67.