Kris Srikkanth expresses concern for Abhimanyu Easwaran, says negative comments from his father impacted Test squad selection

Originally posted on Crictoday | By V.M.Suriya Narayanan | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 12:41 AM ET

Kris Srikkanth has said that Abhimanyu Easwaran lost his place in the Indian Test squad because of his father’s critical remarks about the team management. Easwaran was left out of the two-match Test series against the West Indies.

Easwaran received his first India call-up in December 2022 for the Bangladesh tour. Srikkanth recently expressed his views on Easwaran’s exclusion, attributing it to the negative comments made by his father, Ranganathan, after the batter was not included in the playing XI.

“I feel bad for Abhimanyu Easwaran. I think his father made some harsh comments (after the England tour). However, I think Ajit Agarkar’s reason for not needing a reserve opener at home was valid,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel (17:30)

Ranganathan had expressed his frustration was not given a chance, despite his impressive domestic cricket performances. He also implied that the Indian team selectors were favouring IPL form over domestic achievements.

Easwaran played in the first unofficial Test against Australia A, scoring 44 off 58 balls. His previous domestic season was exceptional, with scores of 127, 191, 116, and 200 in the Duleep Trophy, Irani Trophy, and Ranji Trophy.

With 7,885 runs from 104 first-class matches at an average of 48.67, including 27 centuries, Easwaran has been in great form. Despite solid knocks of 68 and 80 in tour matches ahead of the England series, he was overlooked. Since Easwaran’s first call-up in 2022, 15 other players have debuted for India, but his wait for selection continues.

This article first appeared on Crictoday and was syndicated with permission.

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