Gautam Gambhir’s Big Promise to Abhimanyu Easwaran Revealed!

Throughout his first-class career, Abhimanyu Easwaran has accumulated 7,841 runs in 103 matches, including 27 centuries and 31 fifties, for Bengal.

Gautam Gambhir’s Big Promise to Abhimanyu Easwaran Revealed!

Abhimanyu Easwaran's father revealed that Gautam Gambhir has promised his son's place in the playing XI in the future. (via Hindustan Times)

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Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father, Ranganathan Easwaran, recently revealed a significant promise that Team India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, made to his son. Easwaran Sr. stated that his son was assured he would soon get his much-awaited opportunity to feature in the team’s starting XI.

Abhimanyu Easwaran has yet to make his Test debut for India despite being a part of the team’s red-ball setup for the last few years. The 29-year-old opener first earned his India call-up back in December 2022 for a series against Bangladesh. Since then, 15 other players have made their Test debuts for India, but Easwaran has not featured in a single match, despite his impressive first-class average of 48.70.

Despite years of hard work and consistent performance in India’s domestic cricket circuit, Abhimanyu Easwaran has been overlooked. The Bengal opener was a part of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy but was the only player to be available for all five matches without making an appearance. In the recently concluded 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, Easwaran faced a similar fate.

Abhimanyu was ignored while the team management opted for Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan in England. However, the duo managed to score only one half-century between them in ten innings, raising serious questions about why Easwaran, a more prolific run-scorer, was not chosen. Despite being repeatedly overlooked, Easwaran appears to have not lost hope, with his father, Ranganathan Easwaran, recently stating that his son remains positive about his chances.

In a major revelation, Ranganathan Easwaran also disclosed the conversation his son had with Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir after the India-England series. He noted that Abhimanyu has been assured a place in the playing XI in the coming days. According to Easwaran Sr., Gambhir promised his son a ‘long rope’, assuring him that he would not be pushed out after just one or two matches.

Gautam Gambhir, when he spoke to my son [Abhimanyu Easwaran], he assured him ‘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 and I’ll give you a long rope’.

Speaking on Vicky Lalwani‘s YouTube channel, Ranganathan pointed out that his son deserved a chance to play in England over Sai Sudharsan, citing hs experience on the green surfaces like Eden Gardens. He also stated that Abhimanyu’s ability to hold an innings together for long periods could have helped the Men in Blue at crucial junctures. Furthermore, Easwaran senior questioned the decision to promote Karun Nair to number three, despite the Karnataka star being a natural no. 4 or 5 batter in domestic cricket.

He [Abhimanyu Easwaran] should have played one down. No ill feelings for Sai Sudharsan. They could have tried Abhimanyu, who has played about 30% of the matches on Eden Garden, which is a green track.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was not selected for the Test series despite scoring 167 runs in two practice matches for India ‘A’ against England Lions just before the main series. His next opportunity to make his Test debut for India will be in October of this year against the West Indies.

Abhimanyu Easwaran, Akash Deep and Mohammed Shami Headline Ishan Kishan-Led East Zone Squad Ahead of 2025 Duleep Trophy

The East Zone squad for the 2025 Duleep Trophy features a number of big names, including captain Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, and Riyan Parag. Easwaran and Akash Deep are returning from a five-match red-ball tour to England.

East Zone team Duleep Trophy
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan and Akash Deep are the big named in the East Zone team for the 2025 Duleep Trophy. (via NDTV Sports)

Abhimanyu Easwaran, who did not get a chance to play in the India-England series, will now get the opportunity to showcase his red-ball abilities in the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The 15-player squad, led by Ishan Kishan, who is also returning from a short stint in the County Championship, includes young talents such as Suraj Singh Jaiswal, Kumar Kushagra and Sharandeep Singh, and spinner Denish Das. 

The East Zone team will begin its Duleep Trophy campaign in the first quarter-final against North Zone. Their opponents also feature many well-known players, including Indian Test captain Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Anshul Kamboj.