Karun Nair responded to his omission from the Duleep Trophy final with a statement performance, smashing 104 off 183 balls for KSCAโs Secretary XI in the Thimmappaiah Memorial Tournament.
Out-of-favour India batter Karun Nair walked the talk after being snubbed from the 2026 Duleep Trophy final. On Monday, the Karnataka batter delivered a sharp message on social media platform ‘X‘ after not being selected in South Zone’s playing XI for the summit clash against East Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Karun was in action for KSCA’s Secretary XI at the (Capt) K Thimmappaiah Memorial Tournament at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after being snubbed from the Duleep Trophy final. The batter smashed 104 off 183 deliveries, hitting 12 boundaries and a six against Chhattisgarh, delivering a statement performance in the tournament.
‘Inexplicable would be an understatement’
Users on ‘X‘ questioned Karun’s omission and South Zone’s selection strategy for the Duleep Trophy, considering that he was the most experienced in the squad and had scored 699 runs in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season.
When a user questioned the inexplicable absence of the Indian cricketer, Karun replied to the tweet, saying, “Inexplicable would be an understatement,” on social media.
More from FirstcricketKarun also represented India in ten Test matches and was part of the national setup during India’s tour of England last year. He had a fair opportunity to showcase his skills but failed to make the most of it, putting his international career in doubt.
The Indian batter failed to make an impactful comeback in the IPL 2026 season.
South Zone coach speaks on Karun’s omission
South Zone coach Vikram Verma addressed Karunโs omission, explaining that team combination was the decisive factor behind his exclusion from the playing XI.
“Actually, we went with a good combination because every team has two left-hand spinners. So, we thought a left-hand batter in the middle order would give us a good chance to dominate them.
“So again, we thought about what is best for the team. Now since Devdutt Padikkal has come back, the team combination matter was there. It is very difficult to miss him (Karun) out, but that’s the combination we have,” Verma said.
East Zone posted a mammoth 708 runs in 163 overs, with skipper Ishan Kishan posting 270 and Kumar Kushagra scoring 101. Teen sensation Vaibhav Soryavanshi scored a quickfire 44 to help EZ stay in command over the South Zone.