India’s recent five-match Test series against England marked the start of a new era in Indian cricket. While many players got a chance to shine, three – Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Abhimanyu Easwaran – didn’t get to play a single match.
For 29-year-old Abhimanyu Easwaran, the wait to play for India continues. Since his first call-up in 2021-22, he has been traveling with the team as a reserve player but hasn’t made his debut. In this time, several other players like KS Bharat, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ishan Kishan have debuted.
Despite scoring heavily for Bengal and India ‘A’, Easwaran has often been overlooked. Even with senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away from some formats, others like Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair were chosen ahead of him.
It’s been a frustrating wait. From England, he reportedly told his father, “Dad, I still haven’t found a place.” Yet, Easwaran kept giving his best – even while fielding on the final day of the fifth Test at The Oval.
Former Bengal coach Arun Lal praised him, saying, “He’s a team man, a great fielder, very fit, and has an excellent work ethic.”
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Easwaran’s time will come. “He has age on his side. I still believe he’ll get his chance,” Ganguly said. “The No. 3 position has been a bit fragile. Maybe Easwaran will be tried there.”
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Easwaran is now preparing for the upcoming season. He will travel to Bengaluru for the Duleep Trophy and might also play for Bengal in pre-season tournaments in Chennai or Puducherry. His father revealed that Gautam Gambhir has assured Easwaran of a fair chance when his time comes.
With a home Test series against West Indies in October, Easwaran hopes this will be his big break – and if selected, he aims to make the most of it to secure his place in the Indian team.
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