Karun Nair scored 104 off 183 balls for KSCA Secretary's XI against Chhattisgarh at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium
The hundred arrived after South Zone excluded Nair from the playing XI for the Duleep Trophy final against East Zone in Chennai
Nair reacted pointedly on X to his omission, stating that calling his exclusion inexplicable would be an understatement
Karun Nair answered a second straight Duleep Trophy snub with a century in Bengaluru on Monday and then posted a pointed message on X after South Zone left him out of the final against East Zone. The 10-Test India batter made his point on the field and online as the selection call drew fresh attention.
Nair was again omitted from South Zone's side for the title clash in Chennai, days after he also missed the semifinal against North Zone. Nair is the most experienced player in the current South Zone squad and has just come off a strong domestic season.
Twitter posts have increasingly become a familiar platform for Karun Nair to voice his rawest cricketing emotions, most famously epitomized by his vulnerable 2022 "Dear cricket, give me one more chance" plea during a career crossroads. Fast forward to his latest omission from the South Zone side for the Duleep Trophy final, and Nair has once again turned to social media—this time bluntly declaring that calling his snub "inexplicable" would be an understatement on X.
Bengaluru Century Details
Nair made it count. He scored 104 off 183 balls for KSCA Secretary's XI against Chhattisgarh in the Dr (Capt) K Thimmappaiah Memorial Tournament at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His innings included 12 fours and a six.
Secretary's XI closed the opening day on 277 for 9 after 90 overs, with Nair providing the main resistance.
South Zone Omission
The omission came again. Nair was overlooked for South Zone's Duleep Trophy final against East Zone in Chennai after also being left out of the semifinal against North Zone last week. He is still the most experienced player in the South Zone squad.
Nair scored 699 runs for Karnataka in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. South Zone had brought in Kodimela Himateja for Nair in the semifinal, but he failed to score in the match. Himateja was then dropped for the final and Devdutt Padikkal returned to the XI.
Coach Explains Selection
Coach Vikram Verma defended the call. Explaining Nair's omission from the semifinal, Verma told AP the side had picked its combination with spin match-ups in mind. "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," Verma told.
He added that Padikkal's return shaped the final XI as well. "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.
Nair had left the South Zone camp for Bengaluru on Sunday evening. Verma told AP the batter had travelled home after seeking permission. "He went back due to personal reasons at home. He mailed us and took the permission for his travel due to family reasons," he further added.
East Zone posted 708 in their first innings, with Ishan Kishan scoring 270. South Zone face a steep chase in the final, but Verma said the game was still alive. "Our plan is to play session by session and build partnerships so that we bat five sessions from now, so that we can chase it (East's total of 708) down," he signed off.
