Overview:
He also sharply criticized Pakistan’s current batting lineup, claiming that the team shouldn’t be playing T20 cricket as long as Babar Azam remains the focal point of their batting attack.
Kris Srikkanth has spoken out against the overblown rivalry between India and Pakistan, suggesting that the hype around their encounters needs to be reduced. Reflecting on India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15, he stated that even a less-experienced Indian team could easily overpower Pakistan, whose performance in Colombo was far from impressive.
India cruised to a 61-run win over Pakistan in a match that had been hyped as the latest chapter in their fierce rivalry, but it ultimately proved to be another one-sided affair. With this win, India bolstered their T20 World Cup record to 8-1 over Pakistan and booked their place in the Super 8 stage. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth expressed disappointment over the absence of quality in Pakistan’s squad, which failed to put up a competitive challenge against India.
The former India selector opined that the fascination with Shaheen Shah Afridi is now a thing of the past, and Pakistan is struggling to find a quality pacer. He also sharply criticized Pakistan’s current batting lineup, claiming that the team shouldn’t be playing T20 cricket as long as Babar Azam remains the focal point of their batting attack.
“All the hype around Shaheen Afridi, the boogeyman image, it’s all over, gone. Have you ever seen Pakistan like this? You had the likes of Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and then so many others, Aqib Javed, just to name a few. Now, they’re struggling to find even one decent fast bowler. Has cricket really fallen so far in your country? And when it comes to batting, there’s not a single reliable batter. If Babar Azam is your main player, then forget it, you might as well not even bother playing T20s,” Srikkanth said.
“This is one of the weakest batting lineups Pakistan has ever had. I’ve witnessed players like Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and before them, Rameez Raja — now that was a formidable batting team,” he added.
Kris Srikkanth firmly remarked that even India’s fourth-string team could easily defeat Pakistan. He suggested that India should send their C team to play, as they would comfortably beat Pakistan, mocking their current inability to compete at a high level.
“Should I speak the truth? Even India’s fourth-string team would demolish them. They should just say, ‘We’re not available for the main Indian team, let the India C team face you. Call us, and we’ll come and defeat you. The India C team will beat them,” he concluded.