Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father revealed the batter was feeling depressed after being overlooked for the England series and questioned Gautam Gambhir’s decision to select Karun Nair over his son.
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Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Father Questions Selection Snub Amid Long Wait for India Debut
It has been 961 days and counting, yet Abhimanyu Easwaran continues to wait for his long-anticipated India debut. The ongoing tour of England seemed like his best opportunity, especially after solid performances in the two India A matches. But despite multiple changes to the playing XI — including four for the final Test at The Oval — Abhimanyu Easwaran remained sidelined, a decision that has left his father, Ranganathan Easwaran, both disappointed and frustrated.
Speaking to TimesofIndia.com, Ranganathan revealed that the constant rejections have left his son “depressed,” and openly criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir for overlooking Abhimanyu Easwaran in favour of Karun Nair. He questioned the rationale behind the selection, especially given Abhimanyu’s consistency in domestic cricket.
“I’m not keeping a count of the number of days that Abhimanyu has been waiting for his Test debut. I am counting the years; it has been three years now. What is the job of a player? It is to score runs. He has done that,” said Ranganathan. He pointed out that while Karun Nair was not even in contention during several key domestic tournaments, Abhimanyu delivered with the bat — scoring nearly 864 runs over the past year.
Easwaran has been part of the Test squad setup since 2022, following earlier standby call-ups in 2021 for the home series against England and the WTC final versus New Zealand. Despite being consistently named as a back-up top-order batter, the wait for his maiden Test cap continues, stretching from hopeful promise to a painful ordeal.
Ranganathan Questions Selection Criteria Amid Son’s Omission from Test Squad
Ranganathan, father of a sidelined cricketer, revealed he has been in constant contact with his son throughout the ongoing series, offering encouragement and support. However, he expressed concern over his son’s emotional state and questioned the selection criteria used for India’s Test squad.
“My son looks a little depressed, but that is bound to happen,” he said. “Some players jump the gun based on IPL performances, which earn them a spot in the Test team. IPL performances should not be counted while selecting the team for the longest format. Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Irani Trophy should be the basis for Test selection.”