Ajinkya Rahane has expressed disappointment over Karun Nair’s exclusion, despite his impressive performances in domestic cricket. Nair returned to the Indian Test side after nearly eight years during the England tour but managed only a solitary half-century. After that, he was left out for the West Indies series and didn’t even get a chance in the India A squad against South Africa A.

Rahane believes Nair should have been given a second chance to demonstrate his abilities.

“We’ve seen it in the last few series that Karun Nair has been consistent in domestic cricket, won matches, and earned a Test call-up. I believe he should have been given another opportunity. As for Abhimanyu Easwaran, he’s also been impressive in domestic cricket, consistently scoring runs with a solid average. However, he hasn’t made his debut, but I’m confident it will happen soon,” Rahane said in a video posted on X.

Cheteshwar Pujara, the veteran Indian batter, voiced his agreement, stating that consistent performers in domestic cricket should be rewarded with national call-ups. He stressed that the selectors should prioritize domestic form when selecting players for the Test team.

“When players deliver strong performances in domestic cricket, they should be recognized and rewarded. Being selected for the Test team based on domestic form motivates players, and I believe this approach should continue, with selection solely reflecting their performance in the domestic level,” Pujara said.