Karun Nair stirs controversy with cryptic post amid India’s 2nd Test horror show, Ravichandran Ashwin reacts

Veteran batter Karun Nair on Monday, November 24, posted a cryptic message amid the Indian team’s struggles during the second and final Test against South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Former Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also reacted to Nair’s viral post on social media.

India’s repeated batting failures have sparked debate about the omission of domestic performers like Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, and Abhimanyu Easwaran. Notably, all of these players are known for handling spin well. The Men in Blue are now on the verge of suffering another whitewash under Gautam Gambhir.

The Silence of Not Being Out There Adds Its Own Sting - Karun Nair

Karun Nair drew attention on social media after sharing a cryptic message, a post that even caught Ravichandran Ashwin’s eye. His post appeared to reflect his frustration at being left out of India’s squad for the home series against the West Indies and South Africa.

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With India’s middle order struggling for consistency, many fans have questioned whether an experienced player like Nair should have been considered ahead of newer names such as Sai Sudharsan or Dhruv Jurel.

Amid this growing discussion, Nair shared a thoughtful line on X, hinting at how difficult it feels to watch from the sidelines. “Some conditions carry a feel you know by heart — and the silence of not being out there adds its own sting,” Nair wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Adei😂 https://t.co/PiLMwlYoCe

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) November 24, 2025

Nair had returned to the Test setup during the England tour, but a poor run in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy led to his exclusion again. He has been working hard in domestic cricket, hoping for another opportunity.

We Feel Padikkal Offers a Little Bit More - Ajit Agarkar on Karun Nair’s Omission

Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained why Karun Nair was left out of the West Indies series, saying the selectors expected stronger performances from him during his return to Test cricket.

"Frankly, we expected a little bit more from Karun. He played four Tests, and you spoke about one innings. That's the way it is. We feel Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. Wish we could give everyone 15-20 Tests," Agarkar commented.

Meanwhile, India continue to face uncertainty over the No. 3 slot. Sudharsan was benched for the South Africa Test despite scoring 87 against the West Indies. Washington Sundar batted at No. 3 and top-scored in the Eden Gardens Test, but he was later pushed down to No. 8 when Sudharsan returned to the XI.

Karun Nair in Exceptional Touch in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Season

Karun Nair has been in exceptional touch in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, scoring 602 runs in seven innings for Karnataka at an average of over 100, including two centuries and two fifties. He is fourth among the tournament’s leading run-scorers.

His omission has raised questions, especially given India’s batting concerns. The last time India won a Test after conceding more than 400 runs in the first innings was back in 2016, when Nair scored an unbeaten triple-century against England in Chennai.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing second Test against South Africa, India’s batting troubles continued. After a start of 65 from Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, India collapsed to 122 for 7. Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav helped India reach 174 for 7 at lunch. Earlier, South Africa posted a total of 489 in the first innings.

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