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Former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly has supported Bengal player Abhimanyu Easwaran to make his Test debut for the national team. During the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, Team India's management gave the opportunity to Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair in the number-three sport, but both couldn’t quite justify their role in the top-order batting position. Easwaran, who has produced impactful knocks for Bengal in First-class matches for many years, was seen warming benches during the entire tour. He received his maiden call-up for India in December 2022 for the two Tests in Bangladesh, and since then, he has been part of India’s squads for crucial red-ball assignments without ever getting a chance in the playing XI.
At an event held in Kolkata, the former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President, Sourav Ganguly, said that he believes that Easwaran can cement his position at number three if he gets the opportunity in India whites. "He has age on his side. I still believe he will get his chance. I feel batters like Yashasvi (Jaiswal), KL Rahul, (Shubman) Gill, (Rishabh) Pant, (Ravindra) Jadeja have all got runs. It's only the No. 3 slot that looked a bit fragile. Maybe Easwaran will be tried out there," remarked Ganguly as per the Times of India (TOI).
Abhimanyu Easwaran’s experience in First-class cricket
Abhimanyu Easwaran made his First-class debut for Bengal in December 2013 against UP in the Ranji Trophy 2013-14 season. In his 12-year career, he has amassed 7841 First-class runs with 27 hundreds and 31 fifties in 177 innings of 103 contests. Serving Bengal, he has accumulated 4879 runs with 15 centuries and 23 fifties in 111 innings of 62 games.
With these numbers, he is the second-most successful batter for Bengal in First-class cricket. Recently, Easwaran’s father Ranganathan Easwaran came heavily on Team India management for not giving the right-handed batter in the national side’s playing XI.
