Former India player claims Abhimanyu Easwaran dropped over father statements

Kris Srikkanth sympathized with Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was omitted from India's team for the forthcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies. The Bengal batsman was included in India's team for the Border-Gavaskar series and the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy but failed to get a chance to make his highly anticipated international debut. 

Ex-India opener Srikkanth opined that Easwaran's father's strong words in the wake of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy might have been the reason why his name was left out of the team. But the cricketer-turned-analyst said the reasoning of BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar was understandable. 

Here is what Srikkanth said on his Youtube Channel:

"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. But Ajit Agarkar's reasoning on not needing a reserve opener at home was fair," 

For the uninitiated, Easwaran's father, Ranganathan, vented his ire in an interview after his son wasn't given his debut in the United Kingdom. Ranganathan criticized the Indian think tank for preferring players who have performed well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over his son. 

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Interestingly, 15 players have debuted in Test cricket for India since Easwaran's first call-up to the national team in December 2022.

Sai Sudharsan played his first Test series of five matches against England. He debuted during that series. Sai Sudharsan was not having a good first-class career before that series. But he went into the tour on a high confidence level, having won Orange Cap in IPL 2025. 

At the same time, Agarkar clarified that Easwaran had been omitted from the side because the selectors didn't think the team required an additional opener for a home series. If they ever need him, he can join the squad on short notice. 

The inaugural Test between India and the West Indies is set to start at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 2. The second Test will be held from October 10 onwards at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.