1983 World Cup Winner Makes Astonishing Claim About India’s T20 World Cup Chances After Asia Cup Announcement 

K. Srikkanth surprisingly suggested that 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi should have been considered for a spot on India's 2025 Asia Cup squad.

1983 World Cup Winner Makes Astonishing Claim About India’s T20 World Cup Chances After Asia Cup Announcement 

K. Srikkanth claimed that India's Asia Cup squad is not strong enough to win the 2026 T20 World Cup. (via NDTV Sports)

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Ex-India opener and former chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth made a striking assessment of the Men in Blues’ 2026 ICC T20 World Cup chances, after the recent Asia Cup squad announcement. Srikkant questioned several selections in India’s T20I team for the event.

Preparations are well underway for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, even though the tournament is still a year away. To be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka, the defending champions will be aiming to secure their third-ever T20 World Cup title.

The upcoming Asia Cup is set to be a key preparatory event for the Indian side. The BCCI recently announced the 15-member squad for the tournament, and will be led by captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Suryakumar Yadav will be supported by Test captain Shubman Gill, who is returning to the team as vice-captain after a year-long absence. Fans and former players alike have however, questioned the selection committee for leaving out several players who had excellent performances in the 2025 IPL season and were deserving of a spot, including Shreyas Iyer, Prasidh Krishna, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. 

A former chief selector from 2008 to 2012, Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticized the current selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, for not prioritizing recent IPL performances when selecting the Asia Cup squad.

Srikkanth made a bold claim, stating that while this team might do well in the Asia Cup, it has a very slim chance of winning the 2026 T20 World Cup, citing several weaknesses that would prevent them from securing the title.

Furthermore, he expressed concerns about the selections of Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Harshit Rana. While acknowledging that all three players are talented in the T20 format and were initially chosen for their strong performances in the 2024 IPL, Srikkanth highlighted their poor form in the most recent 2025 edition.

CSK’s Shivam Dube only scored 357 runs with a subpar strike rate of 132.22, while KKR’s Rinku Singh managed just 206 runs at an average of 29.43, failing to hit a single fifty. Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel:

We might win the Asia Cup with this team, but there is no chance of winning the T20 World Cup with this bunch. Is this the preparation for the T20 World Cup, which is hardly six months away?

Srikkanth also stated that the selections for the 2025 Asia Cup were a step backward for both the BCCI selection committee. He challenged the decision to replace Axar Patel with Shubman Gill as the T20I vice-captain, noting that the 25-year-old Gill hasn’t played a T20I since July 2024 and might even struggle to make the playing XI. The former opener also noted the absence of a natural No. 5 batter in the squad.

They have gone backwards. IPL is considered the main criteria for selection, but the selectors seem to have considered performances before that.

It remains to be seen how the Indian T20I team will perform as they prepare to head to the UAE. India has been placed in Group A, alongside rivals Pakistan, host nation UAE, and Oman. The highly anticipated match against Pakistan is set to take place on September 14 in Dubai.

Former Captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth Slams Asia Cup Squad, Calls Out Harshit Rana’s Selection

1983 World Cup-winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth expressed his unhappiness with India’s 2025 Asia Cup squad, which was announced earlier this week. The 65-year-old questioned the inclusion of Harshit Rana over more experienced players like Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

K. Srikkanth on Harshit Rana
K. Srikkanth questioned Harshit Rana’s selection in India’s 2025 Asia Cup squad. (via FirstPost)

On his YouTube show ‘Cheeky Cheeka’, Srikkanth expressed his dismay with the selection of Harshit Rana, who has not yet proven himself at the international level. He criticized the KKR bowler’s high economy rate during the 2025 IPL season, arguing that Siraj and Krishna were more deserving. Rana took only 15 wickets with an economy of 10.18, while Krishna and Siraj picked 25 and 16 wickets, respectively.

Where did Harshit Rana come from? He was so poor in the IPL… He had an economy rate of 10 in the IPL. What message are you giving to Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj? –

In addition, Srikkanth opposed the selection of Shivam Dube and stated his preference for Washington Sundar. He also noted that several deserving players, including Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, were left out of the squad, with Iyer not even making the reserve list.

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