Former India chief selector Kris Srikkanth has expressed concern over India’s chances of winning the upcoming T20 World Cup. He believes that although India is one of the “strong contenders for the Asia Cup,” the current squad is “not strong enough” to succeed in the World Cup. According to him, with this team, “India will not be able to win the 2026 T20 World Cup.” He also criticised the selection choices, questioning the batting order and the inclusion of certain players.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said:
“We might win the Asia Cup with this team, but there is no chance of winning the World Cup with this squad. Are you seriously taking this team to the T20 World Cup? Is this the preparation for a tournament that is just six months away?”
He further added:
“They have gone backwards. Axar Patel has been removed from the vice-captaincy. I don’t understand how Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Harshit Rana made it to the team. IPL is considered the main selection criterion, but the selectors seem to have ignored recent performances.”
In the Asia Cup squad, Shubman Gill has made a comeback and has been appointed as the vice-captain of the T20 team. Recently, Gill also led India in the Test series against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He last played a T20 international in July 2024 against Sri Lanka. Earlier, Axar Patel was made the T20 vice-captain during the England series in January, but now the role has been handed over to Gill.
Srikkanth also questioned the batting order, saying:
“Who will bat at No. 5? It should be one among Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, or Rinku Singh. Hardik Pandya usually bats at No. 5, so Axar Patel cannot bat at No. 6 anymore. I don’t understand why they picked Dube. Yashasvi Jaiswal has performed well in both international cricket and the IPL — what more does he need to do?”