Abhimanyu Easwaran Test snub due to father's 'strong statements': India legend says 'he feels bad'

Abhimanyu Easwaran Test snub due to father's 'strong statements' (PTI Photo)

Abhimanyu Easwaran was not considered for the home series against West Indies, with the first Test set to be played on October 2. The backup opener along with several others from the England tour have missed the cut, including Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Karun Nair, Arshdeep Singh and Anshul Kamboj. Of these, Easwaran, Akash Deep and Kamboj will feature in the Irani Cup against Vidarbha.

Easwaran travelled with the squad to England but never broke into the playing XI. For the West Indies series, the selectors have opted for Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as the two frontline openers, with N Jagadeesan available as backup.

Explaining the reason behind his snub, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained: “On Abhimanyu, we don’t need a third opener at home.”

This effectively pushes Easwaran back into the domestic circuit, where he will lead the Rest of India in the upcoming Irani Cup.

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Discussing India's squad on his YouTube channel, Krishnamachari Srikkanth drew some interesting conclusions. The former India opener, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, drew attention to the recent comments of Easwaran's father. His father Ranganathan Parameshwaran Easwaran during a conversation with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel said that his son was expecting to make a debut in the fifth and final Test at Oval, which was not the case.

During the interaction, Easwaran's father also mentioned how his son's prospects of being selected were harmed by the absence of an IPL profile.

"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,” said Srikkanth. However, he also agreed with Agarkar's explanation. “But Ajit Agarkar's reasoning on not needing a reserve opener at home was fair,” he added.

A total of 15 players have earned their maiden Test cap since Abhimanyu Easwaran was first selected in India's red-ball setup. The batter earned his maiden India call-up in 2021, when India toured England during the bio-bubble phase of cricket in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Circa 2025, India have completed yet another tour of England but Easwaran is yet to earn his much-awaited Test debut.