“Amazing journey” – Rishabh Pant reacts to Abhimanyu Easwaran’s rise after 151 not out in 2024 Irani Cup

Rishabh Pant has lauded Abhimanyu Easwaran’s journey after his century in the Irani Cup game between the Rest of India and Mumbai at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday, October 3. Pant’s reaction came as the former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) director Joy Bhattacharjya shared the details of Abhimanyu’s impressive first-class career so far.

Notably, Easwaran scored an unbeaten 151 runs off 212 balls with the help of one six and 12 boundaries on Day 3. The right-handed batter completed a hat-trick of centuries in his last three first-class matches. The 29-year-old scored 157 not out and 116 in the recently concluded 2024 Duleep Trophy. He had also scored an unbeaten double-century against Bihar in the Ranji Trophy earlier this year.

Joy Bhattacharjya wrote on X:

“In 1988 a Tamil CA based in Dehradun decided to follow his childhood passion and start a cricket academy. He named it after a character in the Mahabharata who learnt, while still in his mother's womb.”

“7 years later, when Ranganathan was blessed with a son, he named him Abhimanyu as well. Abhimanyu excelled at the sport, his father's academy also flourished and soon Ranganathan built the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy stadium. When his boy was 10, Ranga decided his son needed to move to a bigger centre to make it to the next level.”

He added:

“Abhimanyu moved to Calcutta, and moved in with coach Nirmal Sengupta to take his game to the next level. He worked his way to through the age group levels and first played for Bengal as an 18 old in 2013.”

“After 9 years, and with over 5000 first class runs under his belt, Abhimanyu made it to the India ‘A’ squad and scored consecutive centuries for them in Bangladesh & he was drafted into the test squad after Rohit was injured.”

Bhattacharjya further shared how Easwaran has made sensational comeback after failing to deliver for India A against England Lions, where he managed just 94 runs in four innings, including a fifty. He concluded:

“After a below average series against England 'A' in February, in the last month Easwaran has got a double hundred and 2 hundreds in his last five matches, and has just scored an unbeaten century in the Irani trophy today. This Abhimanyu has made his comeback!”

Reacting to the post, Rishabh Pant wrote:

“Amazing journey.”

Easwaran has amassed 7466 runs in 98 first-class matches with the aid of 26 tons and 29 half-centuries. Interestingly, he’s yet to make his Test debut despite being included for India tour of England and South Africa in 2021.

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“I'm taking it in a positive way” – Abhimanyu Easwaran earlier reacted to India's snub

Abhimanyu Easwaran in a 2023 interview said that he stays optimistic despite getting ignored in the national team. He told ESPNcricinfo:

“Given the population we have, there are very few people who are this close to being picked for the Indian team. So I'm taking it in a positive way, that I've got to a place not many can. That gives me confidence. If I can keep putting in the work I've done, I'm still pretty close, I could get picked soon.”

Follow the 2024 Irani Cup live score and updates here.