India head coach Gautam Gambhir and the selection committee have been under the scanner over chopping and changing. While India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and T20 Asia Cup 2025 under their tenure, the Test cricket has taken a hit. India’s 1983 World Cup winner and former chairman of selectors, Kris Srikkanth has slammed Gambhir and the selectors for dropping Axar Patel from the ODI squad for series against South Africa.
“Why isn’t Axar Patel playing? Was he unfit? He has been consistent at all levels. Why so much chopping and changing?” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“Every alternate match someone is making a debut. They can call it trial and error. Gautam Gambhir can say whatever he wants — I don’t care. I have been a former captain and a former chairman of selectors. I know what I’m talking about.”
Srikkanth questions Nitish Reddy’s all-rounder status
Srikkanth slammed Nitish Kumar Reddy's selection in the Test squad. He does not see Reddy as an all-rounder. He went on to question Reddy's selection in the ODI team as well.
"Who calls Nitish Reddy an allrounder? Can anyone see his bowling and say he is an all-rounder. He hit a hundred in MCG but what has he done after that. One swallow doesn’t make a summer, as they say. If Nitish Reddy is an all-rounder then I am great allrounder,” said a furious Srikkanth.
"Does he have movement, pace? He is not some deadly batsman either. Let’s call spade a spade. How is Nitish in ODI team also? What has he done? Is Nitish replacement for Hardik Pandya?! Why not Axar Patel?”
Srikkanth baffled by India’s batting display in Guwahati
The former India captain teared into India’s batting performance in the ongoing Guwahati Test as they lost seven wickets in a space for 27 runs.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “Kuldeep Yadav said nothing was happening on the pitch. Then today we see Indians edging to slips against Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, and also getting out to bouncers from Marco Jansen — five wickets to short balls on a supposed ‘road’,” said the 65-year-old.
He wasn’t happy with stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant dancing down the track against Marco Jansen and edging one to the wicketkeeper.
This is not the first time Srikkanth has criticised Gambhir. Earlier, he had questioned Harshit Rana’s selection across formats.