Aakash Chopra Feels Shreyas Iyer’s Captaincy Elevation All But Confirms Karun Nair’s Test Exit

Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes Karun Nair’s Test career might be over after the batter was overlooked for India A’s 15-member squad for the upcoming two-match multi-day series against Australia A. Shreyas Iyer has been named captain of the side, a move Chopra sees as a clear indication that the selectors are preparing for Iyer’s return to the Test setup at Nair’s expense.

Iyer has been in superb form across formats over the last couple of years. The 30-year-old led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) title in a decade in 2024, before guiding Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the 2025 final, where they fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Although he wasn’t picked for the five-match Test series in England or the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, Iyer looks poised for a red-ball comeback. His domestic form has been strong, with 480 runs in his last seven Ranji Trophy innings at an average of 68.57 and a strike rate of 90.2. His last Test appearance came in February 2024.

“Shreyas Iyer is the captain of India A for the multi-day matches against Australia A. Dhruv Jurel is the vice-captain. Abhimanyu Easwaran used to be the captain, but that is no longer the case. He is a member of the team, but he is not the captain. If you see the last few tours, there has always been a new captain. The leadership of late has been a case of musical chairs,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“Why has Shreyas been elevated as the captain? It is because the No.3 and No.6 slots in Tests are still open. Sai Sudharsan and Easwaran are also in the squad, but Karun Nair is not there. It is a big step because Karun asked for a second chance, and he was given that. He performed okay-okay; he was shuffled up and down the batting order. I thought the upcoming West Indies series would see Karun Nair being included.”

Nair, who returned to the Test fold after eight years during the England series earlier this year, failed to make a lasting impression. Across eight innings, he managed 205 runs at 25.62. Though he got starts, he struggled to convert them into big scores, failing to match his prolific domestic form.

India will host West Indies and South Africa for two-Test series each in October and November, but Chopra feels Nair is unlikely to feature.

“Unfortunately, it looks like you won't see Karun Nair playing further. He is not unavailable. He is fit and then not picked; it seems that the selectors have decided to look past Karun Nair. Shreyas is interesting. He was not picked for the Asia Cup, and there was a lot of backlash. Now he finds himself at the helm of India A team," said Chopra.

“Looking at the Indian team's next few assignments, you would think that Shreyas will play two of the three formats. He plays ODIs, and I think he would get a chance in Tests in the upcoming series against the West Indies and South Africa. The kind of pitches there are in India, I think, he will score runs. The door has opened up for him, and nicely.”