Anustup Majumdar replaces Abhimanyu Easwaran as Bengal captain
Ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021, Cricket Association of Bengal announced that Abhimanyu Easwaran would not lead the Bengal side in the upcoming domestic T20 tournament. The association has now handed the responsibility to Anustup Majumdar.
Anustup Majumdar is a seasoned campaigner, having made his first-class debut in 2004. The CAB feels star batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran would perform better with the bat without the added responsibility of captaincy.
"CAB President Avishek Dalmiya and Hony Secretary Snehasish Ganguly today spoke to Anustup Majumdar, Shreevats Goswami and Abhimanyu Easwaran and made them aware that the decision taken is only for the length of the tournament in question. The selectors felt that without the burden of captaincy over his head Abhimanyu would be able to play more freely and deliver up to his potential." CAB said in a statement.
Easwaran showed his mettle as a captain when he guided an underdog Bengal team to the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy final. However, his batting performance was significantly off the mark as he managed only one half-century and scored at an average of 17.20 in 10 matches.
VVS Laxman believes Abhimanyu Easwaran will not be affected by captaincy
Just a few days back, VVS Laxman, who serves as mentor to the Bengal team, suggested that Abhimanyu Easwaran could get better with the added responsibility of captaincy.
"I don't think captaincy will affect Abhimanyu Easwaran's performances at all. I believe with additional responsibility; in fact, he can get much better. That's what he has been doing for Bengal for so many years; he's been a prolific run-getter. He performed not only for Bengal but also in the opportunities he got for India A; he has done exceedingly well. That's why I don't think the extra responsibility of leading this side will affect his batting." said Laxman.
However, CAB decided to go the other way and felt the 25-year-old would perform better without the burden of leadership. Bengal are in Elite Group B, where they are clubbed with Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Hyderabad.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starts on January 10, with Bengal taking on Odisha in their first encounter in Kolkata.
Bengal squad
Anustup Majumdar (captain), Shreevats Goswami (vice-captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Manoj Tiwary, Sudip Chatterjee, Ishan Porel, Ritwik Roy Chowdhury, Vivek Singh, Shahbaz Ahamad, Arnab Nandi, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Abhisek Das, Mohammad Kaif, Aritra Chatterjee, Suvankar Bal, Writtick Chatterjee, Prayas Ray Barman, Kaif Ahmed, Ravi Kant Singh.
Stand-by: Kazi Junaid Saifi, Sujit Yadav.