The Goal: Speaking after scoring 56 for Bengal against Services in the second round of the Ranji Trophy, 31-year-old Abhimanyu emphasized that his ultimate ambition to play Test cricket for India remains as strong as ever: "When I started playing cricket, the dream was always to play for the country, and that dream is still there." Leading Bengal: While keeping his international aspirations alive, his immediate priority is captaining Bengal and helping them go all the way after coming close to winning the Ranji Trophy last season (when they reached the semi-finals). International Journey & Recent Snubs The Wait: Despite being a prolific run-scorer on the domestic circuit and holding a stellar record for India A—where he has scored 1,909 runs at an average of 38.18 with six centuries—Abhimanyu is still waiting for his maiden international cap. Squad History: He was part of the India Test squad on the tour of England in 2025, but has since been sidelined as selectors leaned toward younger opening options. Current Circuit: After bagging a pair against South Africa A in late 2025, he has also dropped out of the India A set-up and was left out of the Rest of India side for the Irani Cup. However, he started the current domestic season strongly with half-centuries for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy and a crucial knock for Bengal in Delhi. "The goal is always to play for India but before that, I wanted to play for Bengal, because that is the root, that is the path. I love playing for Bengal. It's a privilege that I'm playing for Bengal, leading Bengal. So I think to turn up every day, represent this team, play for this logo, it's a great feeling, it's very exciting. And obviously, the goal is always to win a tournament. We've come very close to winning the Ranji Trophy, so the aim would be to win the Ranji Trophy this season." Bengal started with a nine-wicket win over Delhi in Kalyani before heading to Delhi where Abhimanyu top-scored with 56 on a tough, spin-friendly pitch at Palam. Bengal reached the Ranji Trophy semi-finals last season where they lost to eventual champions J&K.