Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik shared his thoughts on the BCCI selection committee not choosing Karun Nair for the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies and opting for the younger Devdutt Padikkal.
Karun was given his second chance with the Indian team during the England tour, but he failed to capitalize on it. Karun scored 205 runs in four matches but only hit one fifty. This led the selectors to drop the 33-year-old off the team.
Karthik said it was harsh on Karun, but even the batter admitted he could have scored more runs in a few innings. The former wicketkeeper went on to say that if Karun had played in the West Indies series, he would have scored runs, but the selectors are now looking at younger players.
“The fact that Karun Nair is not looked at anymore means they are moving on from him, which is very tough on him. I think he played in one of the toughest series on tough pitches. But in all fairness, he’ll look back himself and say, ‘Could I have scored more runs in a couple of innings at the start, in the first three tests?’ Because in the last test, he got a 50 on a tough pitch,” said Karthik on Cricbuzz.
“I can promise you if he were playing this series, he would get runs. It’s almost a given, the way he’s batting. The fact is, they are saying, ‘Big series, we gave him an opportunity, and he didn’t deliver. So we move on to somebody young for the future,” he added.
Devdutt Padikkal was chosen in the Indian team to replace Karun, and Karthik believes the move is justifiable. The former wicketkeeper stated that if the southpaw hadn't been injured, he would have played for England.
“I really feel Devdutt being given an opportunity is a good thing because he got 80 in Australia (for India A last year). He’s got skills because Australia is a very hard place to play, and he got runs there. And in the England series last year, he got a 50 in Dharamsala. So, he has earned his stripes. He got injured, and that’s why Karun Nair came into the squad. Otherwise, Devdutt would have been part of the squad from day one in England. So, he has earned his recall into the Indian team,” said Karthik.
The two-test series between India and the West Indies will begin on October 2 in Ahmedabad, with the second test scheduled on October 10 in Delhi.
