Former India opener Kris Srikkanth made a light-hearted remark ahead of the Super 8 clash against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2026. Srikkanth said that the current West Indies attack lacks the firepower to challenge Indian batters, joking that Ian Bishop has to come and bowl to trouble Indian batters.
India will take on the West Indies in a Super 8 match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1. Both teams have one win and one loss in the Super 8 stage. The winner of the match will face England in the second semi-final in Mumbai on March 5, while the losing side will be eliminated from the tournament.
Ian Bishop Only Has to Come Back and Bowl for Them – Kris Srikkanth
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth said that the West Indies rely on power-hitting but lack quality bowlers. He also described the West Indies batting unit as inconsistent and added that India remain a far superior side overall.
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“West Indies have six hitting capabilities. But who will bowl for them? Ian Bishop only has to come back and bowl for them. They also have a terrible top order, especially the openers,” Srikkanth said.
“Hetmyer is the one good player in the top order, who is also used to Indian conditions. Their batting lineup is too much of a hit-and-miss. India are a far, far superior side,” he added.
The West Indies Have Only Good Spinners – Kris Srikkanth
The cricketer-turned-commentator said that the West Indies are not a serious challenge for India. Srikkanth added that the West Indies depend mainly on their spinners, while their medium pacers make things easy for Indian batters.
“India will smash guys like Shankar Joseph. Brandon King and Shai Hope have not scored at all. It’ll be such an easy win for India that there is no need for even a percentage. The West Indies have only good spinners. Their medium pacers are too easy for the Indian batters. They get no movement and have no pace or bounce.”
The West Indies suffered a nine-wicket defeat to South Africa after winning their first five games of the tournament. India have also lost just one of their five matches so far, with that defeat also coming against South Africa.
West Indies Can Pose to India Is by Batting First – Kris Srikkanth
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth said that the West Indies can only challenge India if they bat first and put up a very big total. He added that India’s powerful batting lineup should dominate on a flat Kolkata pitch.
“The only threat the West Indies can pose to India is by batting first and scoring 240. Maybe even 200 to 210, if they score, they may have a chance. Kolkata is a small ground with a flat pitch, which works for both sides. If the West Indies hit 15 sixes, India will smash 18 sixes,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
“While they have six-hitting power, India has bigger six-hitting power. India will hit two or three sixes to the Hooghly river with the kind of power in their lineup and with this West Indian attack,” he concluded.
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