Former India captain Kris Srikkanth urged the Men in Blue to bounce back and win the 2026 T20 World Cup trophy to silence all the scathing criticisms after the horrific loss to South Africa. Team India dominated the group stage, winning all four matches without encountering many hurdles.
However, despite riding on a hot streak, they suffered a shocking 76-run loss to the Proteas in their opening Super Eight clash in Ahmedabad. The defeat has India facing potential elimination before the semifinal in the mega event.
When asked if the criticisms on the side after one setback have been harsh, Srikkanth responded on his YouTube channel (27:18):
“The only way to answer back is through performance. Show everyone up by qualifying for the semi-final and winning the trophy. Do that, and everyone will shut up. Those who criticized will hail the same Indian team and praise a Suryakumar Yadav or an Abhishek Sharma.”
He continued:
“But that’s how this sphere is. When things are going well, everyone will praise them glowingly. But when it goes wrong, everyone will stamp on you. The Indian team are also human beings so they can also make mistakes. But the only thing is that you should be immune to criticism and gracefully accept criticism.”
India had been in incredible T20I form before the South African defeat, winning 24 out of their last 28 completed matches. They will have to win their two remaining Super Eight games against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to have a chance of qualifying for the semifinal.
“Everyone was harsh on Axar Patel not being selected in the 11” – Kris Srikkanth
Kris Srikkanth further broke down the criticism of the Indian side after their loss to South Africa, stating that the manner of defeat and the team selection warranted the same. Many fans and pundits blasted the management for leaving out star all-rounder Axar Patel in favor of fellow spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar.
“Nobody is harsh on a player getting out or the side losing a match. It’s about how you lose the match and why you lose the match. Everyone was harsh on Axar Patel not being selected in the 11. None of us were harsh on Varun Chakaravarthy because one off-day can happen to anybody,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
He concluded:
“Nobody wants to be harsh on Indian team. Everyone is only questioning the methodology and the team combination, especially how a guy who has been doing so well, like Axar Patel, wasn’t in the team.”
Axar has missed India’s last two matches despite impressing in the first three outings with six wickets at an average of under 13 and an economy of 6.63. On the other hand, Sundar has gone wicketless in both his appearances in the tournament.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran