As players you have to respect team management's decision, says Karun Nair

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the 15-man Test squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies starting from October 4, and one name that is missing from the list is of Karun Nair, only the second Indian to score a Test triple century and a player who have been enjoying rich form for some time now. However, Karun Nair feels it’s the right time to stop talking about the unique milestone and look what the future beholds for him.

The 26-year-old has represented India in three Tests but since the unbeaten knock of 303 in Chennai against England in December 2016 – opportunities have been less for Nair, despite joining Virender Sehwag in the elite list of Indian batsmen to have scored a triple ton.

"It's been two years already and I think it's time we moved on. The past is gone and we have to look ahead to what's ahead; I don't think it should be a disadvantage at all. For all, it can only be an advantage, people know what I can do now, and I don't need to prove it to myself or to anyone that I can score runs at the international level because I have done it before. That kind of self-confidence I have, and I don't need to prove it to anyone," Nair told Cricbuzz before India's 15-man squad for the home Tests against the Windies was named on Saturday, 29 September.

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However, Nair’s name was missing from the 15-man squad list as his last match remains against Australia in Dharamshala in March 2017, where he score only 5 runs and got the opportunity to bat only in a single innings as India mauled the Aussies by an 8-wicket win.

Karun Nair is named Man of the Match for his outstanding 303* that turned the game on its head and got India to a record score #IndvEng pic.twitter.com/yD5bkQ9nRt

— ICC (@ICC) December 20, 2016

"It's just the way it is. The team management and everyone else make their decisions and you as players have to respect it and move forward with that. All I can do is let the bat do the talking. You still want to be at that stage, you want to be experiencing those moments, you want to be a part of that," Nair said.

When asked about his lack of opportunities at the highest level, Nair said, "As professional cricketers, we have to make sure that we have a job on our hand on the day and obviously, once the day is over, you can go back and reflect on what has happened. But during the game, we are solely focused on what's happening in the middle and we are focussing on the job at hand."

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However, Nair is focused and positive and looks forward to the future.

"For me, it's not very difficult to motivate myself," he said, adding, "I want to keep getting better every day and that was the case whenever I was in the team – be it fitness, be it my batting or be it my fielding. All the time I was just trying to improve my skills. Obviously, I want to get an opportunity soon, I want to get a big score soon, I am very hungry for that and everyone knows that only two people (Indians) have got a triple hundred. I am one of them. I don't have to prove anything to anyone ... all I want is to get out there and I am as hungry as ever to do it again,” said Nair.

"All I want is to get out there and I am as hungry as ever to do it again," he added.

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Karun Nair was a part of the Indian Test team in England for all five games, but Hanuma Vihari, who joined the team for the last two games, got the nod to make his debut at the Oval and scored a debut innings 56 and took 3 wickets in the second.