'It does hurt': Ignored domestic stalwart breaks silence after sudden India axe; draws comparison with Suryakumar Yadav

Ignored domestic stalwart draws comparison with Suryakumar Yadav

Breaking into India's playing XI irrespective of any format is tough and no one knows it better than Abhimanyu Easwaran. The 30-year-old earned his maiden India call- up in December 2022 but never made the cut for playing XI. In between his maiden call-up to his sudden axe from India's Test set-up, which was right before the ongoing series against West Indies, the management handed 15 players their debut in the traditional format.

Reacting to the same for the first time, Easwaran admitted "it does hurt" but vows to find motivation in order to break into the squad and then the playing XI.

"Yes, it does hurt sometimes. You put in all the effort, train hard, and the dream is to be in the middle – to perform, to contribute to wins. But I’m fortunate to have a solid support system: my family, friends, and coach. They help me stay grounded and motivated. Right now, I’m in a good headspace and looking forward to the Ranji season," Easwaran told Revsportz.

"I try to stay focused on things I can control. Work harder, train better. Yes, it feels bad sometimes, but that's natural. The only solution is to keep improving. I'm working on a couple of new shots this season – I won't reveal which ones (laughs), but hopefully, they'll come off well. Playing for India is the biggest motivation. Even when I play for Bengal, I feel immense pride. So, that itself lifts me up," he added.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul shouldering the responsibility to open in red-ball format and doing exceedingly well in the job, the chances of India trying out a different set appears impractical. However, Easwaran, who has 105 First-Class appearances under his name, tries to find motivation from Suryakumar Yadav - India's current T20I skipper and Australia great Michael Hussey.

"I'm a big fan of Michael Hussey. Even before his Australia debut, he was consistently scoring in domestic cricket. His journey shows what perseverance can achieve. Even Suryakumar Yadav made his India debut after 30, and is now leading the team – it's incredible. Players like them are great examples. So yes, it’s always at the back of my mind – "Why not me?" he added.