Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was left out of India’s selection for the forthcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies, was sympathised with by Kris Srikkanth. The batter from Bengal played for India in both the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and the Border-Gavaskar series. He was not given the chance to make his eagerly anticipated international debut, though.
Srikkanth, a former India opener, claimed that Abhimanyu Easwaran father’s forceful remarks following the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy might have been the cause of his exclusion from the team. But according to the cricketer-turned-expert, Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector for the BCCI, gave a reasonable explanation.
“I’m sorry about Abhimanyu Easwaran. Perhaps they dropped him now because of his father’s aggressive words (after England), in my opinion. However, Srikkanth stated on his YouTube channel that Ajit Agarkar’s justification for not requiring a backup opener at home was reasonable.
For those who are unaware, Ranganathan, Abhimanyu Easwaran father, lamented in an interview that his son had not been given his UK debut.
Ranganathan accused the Indian think tank of providing his kid with fewer opportunities than players who performed well in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In addition, since Easwaran’s initial call-up to the national squad in December 2022, 15 players have made their Test debuts for India.
Sai Sudharsan made his debut in the five-match Test series against England. Prior to that series, the Tamil Nadu batter had a poor first-class record. But after winning the Orange Cap in the IPL 2025, he was full of confidence going into the tour.
Agarkar clarified that the selectors believed that an additional opener was unnecessary for a home series, which is why Abhimanyu Easwaran was kept off the roster. He will be able to quickly join the team if they do require him.
On Thursday, October 2, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the opening Test match between India and the West Indies. In the meantime, the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host the second Test starting on October 10.
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