“They gave a chance to Karun Nair” - Indian cricketer’s father lashes out at team management for not including him in the XI on England tour

Top-order batter Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father, Ranganathan Easwaran, has opened up on his son not getting into the final playing XI despite making it to the Indian Test squad on the England tour.

Advertisment

Interestingly, players like Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Easwaran warmed the bench throughout the five-match Test series, which didn’t go down well with many Indian cricket fans and former cricketers.

While Easwaran got his maiden Test call-up in 2022, a total of 15 players made their Test debut after that, but Easwaran is yet to make it to the final playing XI until now, which irked Ranganathan.

"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,” Ranganathan Easwaran told TOI.

Furthermore, the senior Easwaran also questioned the Indian team management for giving a chance to Karun Nair, who wasn’t even in the scheme of things, since his son got his maiden call-up to the Test squad.

People said he didn't perform in two India A matches during the last tour of Australia and didn't get into the team, which is fair enough. But Karun Nair wasn't in the team during the period when Abhimanyu performed before the BGT. Karun wasn't picked for the Duleep Trophy or the Irani Trophy. Abhimanyu scored close to 864 runs if you consider the period from last year to the current year," he added.

"Then how do they compare? I don't understand. They gave a chance to Karun Nair. Fair enough, he scored 800-plus runs. The selectors have put faith in him,” he stated.

Advertisment

He also asserted that his son is depressed for not getting his chance in the playing XI. He also reckoned that domestic cricket tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy should be given priority for Test selection instead of IPL performance. 

"My son looks a little depressed, but that is bound to happen. 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," he noted.

It’s important to note that Easwaran has played 103 first-class games, accumulating 7841 runs at an average of 48.7 with 27 centuries and 31 half-centuries.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!