Former India opener and ex-chief selector Kris Srikkanth has strongly criticized the squad chosen for the Asia Cup 2025, stating that India has little chance of defending their T20 World Cup title if they continue with the same combination. He argued that the 15-member squad reflects regression rather than progress.
The Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025 was announced in Mumbai on August 19, with Suryakumar Yadav retained as captain and Shubman Gill making a comeback as vice-captain. Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Harshit Rana were included, while notable omissions were Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Prasidh Krishna.
Delivering a blunt verdict on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka, Srikkanth claimed that India would struggle to win the 2026 T20 World Cup if a similar team is fielded.
“We might win the Asia Cup with this team, but there is no chance of winning the T20 World Cup with this bunch. Are you going to take this team to the World Cup? Is this the preparation for the T20 World Cup, which is hardly six months away?”
He voiced strong concerns about some of the picks for the Asia Cup 2025 squad, stating:
“They have gone backwards. Axar Patel has been axed from vice-captaincy. I don’t know how Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana have come in. IPL is considered the main criteria for selection, but the selectors seem to have considered performances before that.”
Srikkanth Questions India’s Batting Line-up For Asia Cup 2025
While analysing India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, Kris Srikkanth remarked that the side appears unbalanced. Pointing to the No. 5 position, he stressed that the omission of Shreyas Iyer leaves the middle order vulnerable. The 1983 World Cup champion further explained:
‘Who will bat at No. 5? Five has to be either Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma or Shivam Dube or Rinku Singh. Hardik Pandya usually bats at No. 5, so now, Patel Axar cannot bat at six. I can’t understand how they picked Dube. Yashasvi Jaiswal have performed in international cricket and IPL as well. What does he do?”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
