Ajit Agarkar Delivers Straight Talk On Karun Nair's Snub And Padikkal’s Case For Selection: 'We Expected A Bit More'

BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has delivered a brutally honest take on Karun Nair's omission from the recently announced India squad for the West Indies Tests. He also backed the decision to implement Devdutt Padikkal in the team, saying that he offers more than what Nair did.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled a 15-man squad for its upcoming red-ball assignment at home. The Men in Blue would lock horns against the Caribbean Men in the competition, where crucial WTC points will be on the line.

Ajit Agarkar Drops Truth Bombs On Karun Nair's Snub

Karun Nair's performance in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series was underwhelming. Despite receiving a chance to make a long-awaited comeback, Nair fumbled big time in England and could not make a significant impact.

The BCCI's recent squad announcement for the West Indies Tests did not feature Karun Nair, with Devdutt Padikkal stepping in as his replacement.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has backed up the decision to rope in Padikkal, highlighting his recent performance for India in Tests. He also spoke about Nair's exclusion, saying they had expected him to perform better during the England tour.

"Frankly, we expected a little bit more than that. He's played four tests, you've spoken about one innings. It's the way it is. I mean, Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. I wish we could give everyone 15 or 2 tests. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

"Padikkal has been in the Test squad. I mean, he was in the test squad in Australia, played in Dharamsala against England, got a 50 there, so it's shown some decent form with India A's. We expected a bit more from Karun on the England trip," Ajit Agarkar said at the press conference.

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Shubman Gill To Lead, Jadeja To Serve As Deputy For India Tests Against WI

The India squad for the West Indies tests has a couple of fresh faces in Devdutt Padikkal and N Jagadeesan in action. With Shubman Gill leading the charge, veteran Ravindra Jadeja has been named as his deputy.

Also Read: 'Is Sarfaraz Khan Alive?' BCCI Trolled For Repeatedly Ignoring Star Cricketer For Tests vs West Indies

With Rishabh Pant being out of action due to an injury, Dhruv Jurel will be the primary man behind the stumps. N Jagadeesan has been brought in as a secondary.

The West Indies' Test tour of India commences on October 02 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.