Karun Nair, the Karnataka batter, departed from the South Zone camp during the Duleep Trophy final. He has since returned to Karnataka, where he participated in the Dr (Capt) K Thimmappaiah Memorial Tournament, representing the KSCA Secretary’s XI.
Nair, who was part of the South Zone squad, did not feature in the playing XI during the tournament. He was also left out of the semi-final before being benched for the final against East Zone.
The Karnataka batter scored 104 off 183 balls, including 12 fours and one six, against Chhattisgarh at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Nair had also enjoyed a strong 2025-26 Ranji Trophy campaign, scoring 699 runs. Nair returned to India’s Test setup in 2025 and was part of the squad for the England tour. The batter has played 10 Tests for India and scored 579 runs. He also represented India in two ODIs against Zimbabwe in 2016 but has never played a T20I.
South Zone wanted a left-handed batter in the middle order because their opposition had two left-arm spinners, according to the coach.
South Zone head coach Vikram Verma said Nair left the team after seeking permission, citing personal reasons. So he left for his home, he mailed and took the permission,” Verma said after Monday’s play. “No, he went (home) with the personal reasons. Verma also explained that team combination played a role in Nair’s omission. The return of Devdutt Padikkal also influenced the combination. Nair made his presence felt in Bengaluru with a century for KSCA Secretary’s XI While the Duleep Trophy final was underway. His century came after he had been overlooked for the Duleep Trophy semi-final and final. Following his omission from the Duleep Trophy squad, Nair had expressed his frustration on social media, responding to a post about his absence with the words, “Inexplicable would be an understatement. However, he did not feature in the playing XI during the series.
