When India’s squad for the upcoming home Test series against the West Indies was announced on Thursday (September 25), there were quite a few names missing who were part of the recent England tour.
Abhimanyu Easwaran was one of them. The Bengal opener did not get a chance in England and has now been sidelined for the West Indies series at home. He was not handed the debut cap despite earning his maiden Test call-up in 2022.
His father, Ranganathan Easwaran, was furious over the repeated snubs and expressed his frustration after the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Abhimanyu boasts an impressive first-class record, scoring 7,841 runs in 103 matches at an average of 48.70.
Now, former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth has claimed that Easwaran's father's remarks might have played a part in the batter not getting selected for the West Indies series.
"I feel bad for Abhimanyu Easwaran. I think his father made some strong statements (after England), and maybe that's why they've dropped him now. But Ajit Agarkar's reasoning on not needing a reserve opener at home was fair," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
In the squad announcement presser, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed a query on Easwaran’s snub, citing that the team management did not need a third opener at home. "On Abhimanyu, we don't need a third opener at home," Agarkar said.
After the England tour, Ranganathan Easwaran had vented his ire regarding the Indian team selection.
"Gautam Gambhir, when he spoke to my son, assured him, 'See, you're doing the right kind of things, you'll get your turn, you'll get a long run. I'm not the one who will push you out after one or two matches. I'll give you a long rope.' That's what my son communicated to me. The entire coaching team assured him that he'll get his due, he'll get his long run. That's the best I can say. My son is waiting for 4 years. He's put in 23 years of hard work," Ranganathan said in an interview on Vickey Lalwani's YouTube channel.
"He should have played one down. There is no question. There are no second thoughts about it. No ill feelings for Sai Sudharsan. Where does he fit in? 0, 30, 61, 0 (Sai Sudharsan's scores in Leeds and Manchester Tests). They could have tried Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu has played about 30% of his matches at Eden Gardens, which has a green track, and he's got experience playing on green tracks. The record suggests Abhimanyu is a player who holds the innings for a long time. Records speak," Abhimanyu Easwaran's father said.
