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

CSK pacer Khaleel Ahmed ruled out of IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings have suffered a crushing blow, with their highly skilful pacer Khaleel Ahmed being ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to a right quadricep injury. Khaleel sustained the injury during the team's match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday. In a release, the franchise confirmed that it will take more than 12 ...

Mumbai Indians sign Krish Bhagat as replacement for injured Atharva Ankolekar
Mumbai Indians have acquired the services of Punjab all-rounder Krish Bhagat, signing him as a replacement for the injured Atharva Ankolekar. He has been signed by Mumbai Indians at his base price of INR 30 lakh. The signing comes after Ankolekar was ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
Bhagat has played for Punjab in seven first-class and nine List...

CPL 2026 to begin on August 7
The schedule for the 14th edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been announced, with the tournament scheduled to begin on August 7. Matches will be played across multiple Caribbean nations, including Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica. Notably, for the first time, matches will be played at Ar...

Rubel Hossain retires from international cricket
Bangladesh pacer Rubel Hossain has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing the curtains down on a glittering career. In a social media post, Rubel confirmed his decision to say goodbye to international cricket. He made his last international appearance for Bangladesh back in April 2021 in a T20I against New Zealand in Auckland.
"I am pacer Rubel Hoss...

IPL 2026: Pat Cummins cleared to feature for SRH
Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins has been cleared to appear for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), with medical assessments confirming that his issue has fully healed, according to Cricket Australia. Fresh scans conducted in Sydney have cleared him to return to bowling without any limitations, bringing a sigh of relief to Sunriser...

Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram