TOP STORIES
Former Indian captain raises questions over Gambhir’s decision to send Axar ahead of KL Rahul

With electrifying victories in the first two games, India have already sealed the series victory in the ongoing three-match ODI series against England. Rohit Sharma propelled the side to a four-wicket victory in the second game, hammering his 32nd ODI hundred.
Despite India shining bright, former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth has blasted Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir for constantly shuffling the team’s batting order. Srikkanth criticised Gambhir for changing KL Rahul’s batting order despite his terrific record at no.5.
Allrounder Axar Patel was promoted to no.5 in the first two games and he made most of the opportunity, scoring (52) and (41) respectively. KL Rahul, on the other hand, failed to get going, scoring only (2) and (10) respectively.
"Shreyas Iyer is in good form, which is a positive for India. But I feel for KL Rahul, it's very unfortunate. Yes, Axar Patel is scoring 30s and 40s, but what they are doing with KL Rahul is not fair. Look at his record, he has excelled at No. 5, with a brilliant record. I don't know what the team management is thinking regarding his position. If he bats at No. 6 or 7, he ends up scoring 6 or 7. It's unfair," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth took a dig at Gambhir saying his decision to send Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul is not right.
"Hey, Gambhir, what you are doing is not right. Yes, depending on the situation, India can send Axar at No. 5, but it cannot be a consistent strategy. If you keep making such changes, you know what will happen there will be a crucial match where everything falls apart. That's what worries me," he said.
"You can't justify it by talking about the left-right combination. Does that mean you don't care about a left-right combination in the top four? Why does it only matter at No. 5? I have no issue with Axar Patel-he is making the most of his chances. But if you're pushing Rahul down the order, then play Rishabh Pant at No. 6. Why undermine Rahul's confidence?,” he said.
Tags
More News

Kieron Pollard named captain of MI Emirates for ILT20 season 4
MI Emirates (MIE) have announced Kieron Pollard as their captain for the upcoming season of International League T20 (ILT20). The fourth edition of the tournament begins on December 2, 2025. Nicholas Pooran, who captained MI Emirates last season, remains in the squad. However, his commitments to MI Cape Town in the SA20 — which partially overlaps with ILT20 — m...

"Their importance at any point is huge": KL Rahul highlights importance of Rohit and Kohli ahead of 1st ODI against South Africa
With Shubman Gill ruled out due to a neck injury, Indian batter KL Rahul will lead the Indian team in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa. The first match begins on November 30, 2025, in Ranchi. Rahul has led India in ODIs before, having captained 12 times between 2022 and 2023.
"Just a day before the announcement, I was told th...

Focus shifts to ODIs as India and South Africa meet in Ranchi
Following a historic and hard-fought Test series, the spotlight now shifts to the white-ball leg of South Africa’s tour of India. The two sides will meet in the first ODI in Ranchi on Sunday, marking the beginning of a three-match series. India enter the ODI series with a point to prove. They were squarely outplayed in the Tests, falling short in both in bowlin...

"When we beat India in...": Babar Azam recalls Pakistan’s historic win
Pakistan's batting legend Babar Azam has often spoken about the defining moments of his career, but few memories stand as vividly in his mind as the night of October 24, 2021, when he led Pakistan to a landmark 10-wicket victory over India in the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup.
For years, Pakistan had searched for a World Cup win over their ar...

"They come very poorly trained": Ex-Indian players highlights India's batting woes on home soil
India’s shocking 0–2 defeat to South Africa in a home Test series has triggered a wave of criticism, with former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar slamming India's batting efforts. Reflecting on India’s inability to cross even 250 in any of their four innings, Manjrekar believed that the core problem lies in India's training. According to ...

Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram