'I strongly feel he deserved a chance'- Laxmi Ratan Shukla on Abhimanyu Easwaran's treatment

The politics within the Indian cricket scene has been a huge topic of discussion on which players deserve a chance on the national side or not. One of the players who has been named multiple times in the Indian squad and has still not been able to play a single match for the team is Bengal Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran. 

The 29-year-old batter has been playing in the domestic scene since 2013 and has played 101 first-class matches where he has scored 7674 runs at an average of 48.87. Some experts have shared their opinions on the way the team has treated him so far. Even former Bengal cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla has expressed his disappointment over Abhimanyu’s treatment along with the other players who he thinks deserve more opportunities. 

“I strongly feel he deserved a chance. Hundred percent and I don’t want to see him in India A anymore. He’s become a senior player now. And instead of taking them, I feel youngsters who perform well in domestic tournaments should be picked for A tours. I am not talking about just Easwaran but players across the country,” Shukla said during an interview with SportsKeeda. 

“We don’t find them available for state matches, and I feel that domestic tournaments are more important than India A. The likes of Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran have nothing more to prove. They should play directly for India or domestic tournaments otherwise,” the Bengal head coach added. 

Shukla speaks on the unfair treatment of Bengal players 

Shukla while discussing Easwaran also spoke on the treatment of other Bengal players who have been in the domestic circuit and has shared his views on the process of the selectors on how they have treated the players from the state. 

“This is not the first time Bengal players have found themselves on the wrong side of things. And even now, I am seeing that things are not how they are supposed to be. But what can we do? We can do nothing, I got a break because of my performance. And I have never cried over ifs and buts. But there’s no point discussing my story. Things have been unfair to Bengal cricket for generations now – this has been on record. We have to perform and yet play India A, while others directly get the India cap,” Shukla concluded.