Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be called up as a replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Indian team that is set to take on South Africa in two Tests starting on December 26.
Easwaran is already in South Africa as a part of the India A squad that would play South Africa A in two unofficial Tests, making the replacement process easier for the team management.
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Gaikwad played all the three T20Is of the ongoing South Africa tour and also opened the innings in the first two ODIs.
However, the Maharashtra-born batsman suffered a finger injury which prevented him from participating in the 3rd ODI, making way for Rajat Patidar to make his ODI and India debut in the process.
Gaikwad has been allowed by the BCCI to travel back to India and work on his recovery, with the selectors keeping tabs on the 26-year-old as one of the probable 15 players for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup.
MORE: What did KL Rahul tell Keshav Maharaj during the 3rd ODI?
Who is Abhimanyu Easwaran?
Easwaran is a right-handed opening batsman who plays for Bengal at the domestic level.
The 28-year-old made his first-class debut for Bengal in December 2013, when he was just 18 years old. Easwaran has been a batting behemoth for Bengal in domestic circuit, which has seen him earn games with India A and become a reserve/standby for the Indian cricket team.
It is completely down to misfortune that Easwaran hasn't been able to make his Test debut for India inspite of stellar numbers in first-class cricket.
Abhimanyu Easwaran first-class stats
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | S.R. | 50s | 100s | HS |
| 88 | 152 | 6567 | 47.24 | 52.67 | 26 | 22 | 233 |
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