Srikkanth Critiques India's Squad Selection for Afghanistan T20Is
The scars of Ireland and England are still fresh. India’s selectors have reacted by reaching for experience, not experimentation — and Kris Srikkanth is having none of it.
India have named a near full-strength 15-man squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in New Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17. On paper, it looks powerful. In Srikkanth’s eyes, it looks like a retreat.
The former India opener and captain called the move a “mistake”, accusing the selectors of picking out of fear rather than vision after a 0-2 loss in Ireland and a 0-4 hammering in England in July.
“They are going all guns blazing, but this is a mistake,” he said on his YouTube channel, arguing that Afghanistan at home was exactly the kind of series that should have been handed to younger, fringe players. Instead, India have doubled back to the comfort of familiar names.
From Zimbabwe auditions to Afghanistan safety net
What really rankles Srikkanth is the sharp U-turn. India used the Zimbabwe tour to push the door open for fresh faces and players outside the usual white-ball core. That, he felt, was the right direction.
Then came the defeats in Ireland and England. Just as the environment seemed ripe for a broader reset, the selectors have swung back to the tried and tested.
“It feels like a desperation move after the Ireland and England losses. But this squad is almost the same as the one they picked for England,” Srikkanth pointed out.
The list backs him up. Shreyas Iyer continues as captain, Tilak Varma stays on as deputy. Around them, the squad is stacked with experience: Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube and Varun Chakaravarthy all return to the frame.
There is at least one nod to the future. Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who impressed in Zimbabwe, has kept his place. But he is the exception, not the theme.
A strong squad, or a scared one?
On the surface, the selectors can argue they are simply picking their best available group. Afghanistan are no longer pushovers in T20 cricket, and India’s recent away record in the format hardly screams dominance.
Yet the Afghanistan series is at home, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, across three games in familiar conditions. For Srikkanth, that context matters. These are the matches, he insists, where a board should be bold, where players on the fringes should be tested under lights, not left to carry drinks behind the old guard.
Instead, he sees a selection driven by insecurity after back-to-back series defeats. The message, in his reading, is clear: the room for error has vanished, even in a home series against a developing side.
The fitness question Srikkanth won’t let go
Selection is only half of Srikkanth’s gripe. The other half is fitness — not the medical reports from the National Cricket Academy, but the lack of recent match time for some of the bigger names.
Bumrah’s return has been marked with an asterisk, his participation subject to fitness clearance. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana are in the same bracket, all included but still waiting for the final green light.
Srikkanth is unimpressed by that approach.
“These four have not proved match-fitness. So on what basis are they subject to fitness? Just because you prove your fitness at the Bengaluru CoE, are you fit?” he asked, recalling how Harshit Rana went to England and then broke down.
For him, ticking boxes at a training centre does not equate to being ready for international intensity. Match fitness, he stressed, is a different examination altogether — one these players have not yet passed.
Opportunity cost in plain sight
Underneath the criticism lies a simple calculation: three T20Is at home against Afghanistan could have been three extended auditions for the next wave.
Instead of using this window to stress-test new combinations, India have largely reverted to the group that went to England. A few youngsters remain, but they are now surrounded by established names likely to take the bulk of the game time.
For Srikkanth, that is the real loss. Not the risk of dropping another series, but the chance to see who can handle the stage before the calendar tightens again.
India’s squad for the Afghanistan T20Is reads:
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar*, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah*, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana* (*Subject to fitness clearance)
Three nights in Delhi, a familiar venue, a manageable opponent, and a packed, experienced squad. The selectors have shown their hand. The real test now is whether this safety-first call steadies Indian T20 cricket — or simply delays the hard choices that are coming.
