Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father questions omission in England series, criticises Sudharsan and Nair selections

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been part of Team India’s squad since December 2022 but is still waiting to make his debut. Following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, many expected Easwaran to finally get his opportunity during the England tour. However, the team management instead picked Sai Sudharsan and recalled Karun Nair—neither of whom made a significant impact in the series.

In a recent interview, Abhimanyu’s father, Ranganathan Easwaran, revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir had assured his son of a fair run in the national side.

“Gautam Gambhir told my son that he’s doing all the right things and will get his turn, along with a long run in the team—not just one or two matches. The entire coaching staff gave him that assurance. My son has been waiting for four years, after 23 years of hard work,” Ranganathan said.

He stressed that Easwaran should have been given the No. 3 batting slot ahead of Sai Sudharsan, noting his extensive experience in green conditions at Eden Gardens. “He should have batted one down. I have no ill feelings towards Sai Sudharsan—they are known to me—but look at the scores: 0, 31, 0, 61. They could have tried Abhimanyu, who has played around 30% of his matches at Eden Gardens, a green track. He knows how to hold the innings together,” he argued.

Ranganathan also questioned the decision to slot Karun Nair at No. 3. “Karun has never batted one down; he plays two or three down for Vidarbha. How does he suddenly become a one-down option? Players batting at four or five are being moved up, but my son is a natural top-order batsman. He can open or play one down—not three or four. That’s the yardstick they use,” he remarked.

While clarifying that his criticism was not aimed at the selectors, Ranganathan emphasised that domestic cricket performance should matter more than IPL form. “Selectors have faith in him; that’s why he’s picked year after year for various teams. But IPL should not outweigh the Ranji Trophy,” he concluded.