Sourav Ganguly: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has urged Bengal batter Abhimanyu Easwaran to fight for the No.3 slot in the Indian red-ball playing XI. The experienced domestic campaigner recently expressed frustration at being overlooked yet again as he still awaits his international debut.
Sourav Ganguly:Easwaran was in contention in Team India’s recent overseas endeavors in Australia and England, but had to settle for a place on the sidelines. He was primed for a debut appearance in Rohit Sharma’s absence in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series opener, but KL Rahul was preferred on that occasion.
Sourav Ganguly:In the recently concluded 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, although the opening slots were occupied, the No.3 role was not set in stone amid the reshuffling of the batting order after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirements. Over the course of the five-match series, Team India rotated between Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair in the top-order spot, leaving Easwaran out in the cold yet again.
“Dad, I still haven’t found a place,” Easwaran had reportedly said to his father during the England tour.
Sourav Ganguly:Former India captain Sourav Ganguly remarked that not all is lost for Easwaran as he has a chance to compete for the No.3 spot. Sudharsan recorded 140 runs in six outings at an average of 23.33 at No.3, including two ducks. Karun Nair, on the other hand, was promoted to No.3 in the middle phase of the series, and scored
“He has age on his side. I still believe he will get his chance. I feel batters like Yashasvi, KL Rahul, 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 there,” Ganguly told the Times of India.
Sourav Ganguly:Easwaran is eyeing yet another strong domestic season to put pressure on the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair ahead of the home Test matches. The right-handed batter is set to lead the East Zone in the upcoming 2025 Duleep Trophy, scheduled to begin on August 28.
Sourav Ganguly:”I’ll give you a long rope” – Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father reveals Gautam Gambhir’s promise to his son
Abhimanyu Easwaran has made 103 first-class appearances, scoring 7841 runs at an average of 48.70. The batter has been leading the India ‘A’ outfit for quite a while, even recently during the two-match unofficial Test series against England Lions, where he featured at No.3.
“Gautam Gambhir, when he spoke to my son, he assured him see you you’re doing the right kind of things you’ll get your turn you’ll get a long run. I’m not the one who will push you out after one or two matches. I’ll give you a long rope,” Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father said in an interview with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel (via India Today).
Team India’s next red-ball assignments will kick-start their home season in October. The Men in Blue will face the West Indies and South Africa in the subcontinent to build on their solid start to the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
