'No Chance Of Winning T20 World Cup With...': Ex-IND Selector Slams Asia Cup Team

'No Chance Of Winning T20 World Cup With...': Ex-IND Selector Slams Asia Cup Team

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Last Updated: August 20, 2025, 08:43 IST

Kris Srikkanth has said India will fail to defend its T20 World Cup title next year with the team selected for Asia Cup 2025.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth questions India's team selections (Picture Credit: Sportzpics, AP)

Former India selector and batter Kris Srikkanth believes India has gone ‘backwards’ with their Asia Cup 2025 squad selection. Soon after the Ajit Agarkar-led committee announced the squad on Tuesday, he said even if this team wins the ACC tournament, it won’t be good enough to defend the T20 World Cup crown next year.

Srikkanth’s major apprehension was with the selections of Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Harshit Rana. Rinku is the team’s designated opener since his excellent showing in IPL 2023, while Dube and Rana got into the side with consistent performances in IPL 2024. But all three were out of form in the recent 2025 edition.

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Srikkanth also took exception to removing Axar Patel from the team’s vice-captaincy for Shubman Gill, who hadn’t played any T20 cricket since 2024.

“We might win the Asia Cup with this team, but there is no chance of winning the T20 World Cup with this bunch," Srikkanth said in a video on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda. “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? 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 believes that the team lacks a natural number five. In the team’s last T20, Dube batted at that spot and scored 30 off 13 with India putting up 247/9.

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“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?" Srikkant said.

India’s Asia Cup campaign begins on September 10 against the UAE.

First Published: August 20, 2025, 08:41 IST

News cricket 'No Chance Of Winning T20 World Cup With...': Ex-IND Selector Slams Asia Cup Team

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