Former India cricketer and selector Kris Srikkanth has expressed disappointment over the squad chosen for the Asia Cup 2025. After the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced the team, Srikkanth said that even if this side manages to win the Asia Cup, it still will not be strong enough to defend the T20 World Cup next year.
According to him, India has taken a step backward with this selection. His biggest concerns were the inclusion of Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana. Rinku Singh had become a regular opener after a brilliant IPL 2023 season, while Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana were selected due to their consistent performances in the IPL 2024.
However, Kris Srikkanth pointed out that all the three players were out of form in the recent IPL 2025 season and questioned why they were chosen. He was also unhappy that Axar Patel was removed from the role of vice-captain and replaced by Shubman Gill who has not played any T20 cricket since 2024.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth said that although this team might win the Asia Cup, it does not seem ready for the upcoming T20 World Cup which is only six months away.
He accused the selectors of ignoring recent IPL form and choosing players based on older performances. Another issue he raised was the lack of a natural number five batsman. In India’s last T20 match, Shivam Dube batted at number five and scored 30 runs off 13 balls in a big team total of 247 for 9 but Kris Srikkanth still felt unsure.
He believes that number five should ideally be players like Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma or Shivam Dube himself or even Rinku but traditionally that spot belonged to Hardik Pandya. Now, with Axar Patel not batting at number six, the order looks unsettled. He also questioned how Yashasvi Jaiswal’s good form in both international cricket and the IPL was not properly used.
Kris Srikkanth concluded by saying he does not understand the logic behind selecting Shivam Dube and wondered what certain players are expected to do in this lineup.
India will begin their Asia Cup journey on September 10 against the UAE but the questions asked by Kris Srikkanth will certainly create doubts in the minds of fans, former players and experts.
What is your take in this regard? Let us know your views.
