Krishnamachari Srikkanth blasts BCCI for favoring Shubman Gill and ignoring Yashasvi Jaiswal’s form

Krishnamachari Srikkanth has always been outspoken, and now he’s taking aim at Ajit Agarkar’s selection panel. He’s not just questioning Shubman Gill’s role as vice-captain but also criticizing the surprising omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Srikkanth has really let loose on India’s T20I setup. With fans already split over the selections, his comments have ignited a fresh debate just ahead of the Australia series. The big question now is whether India’s selection strategy has gone off course?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth questions the logic behind Shubman Gill’s vice-captaincy decision

In a video titled “T20I Selections: Gill Fixed, Balance Tossed!” posted on October 28, 2025, Krishnamachari Srikkanth let out his frustrations on his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka. Speaking directly to his 1.2 million subscribers, Srikkanth challenged the reasoning behind Gill’s promotion. “They won’t drop Gill for the next three games. They are not worried about anything else. He is the vice-captain for the T20 World Cup, that’s fixed now. It’s also fixed that he’s the future T20I captain.”

Srikkanth stated emphatically to his audience. He further probed, “So they have to play with him and build the balance for the rest of the side. He’s a certainty, or else on what basis has he been appointed the vice-captain?” This outburst has been seen over 750,000 times in just a few days, reflecting Srikkanth’s track record of straightforward commentary, which includes his 2024 critique of Gill’s inclusion in the T20 World Cup.

Srikkanth’s comments come from the announcement of the Asia Cup squad in August 2025, where they first tried out Gill as vice-captain, but the T20I selections in November raised more worries.

After Rohit Sharma retired from T20I in June 2024, the BCCI has been preparing Gill to take over, pointing to his captaincy with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 and his victory with the India Under-19 team in the World Cup back in 2018.

Shubman Gill’s vice-captaincy raises new questions about India’s selection consistency

Shubman Gill, the 25-year-old opener for Gujarat Titans, has earned the vice-captain title thanks to his impressive all-format skills, boasting over 1,200 T20I runs at an average of 35 and an IPL 2025 strike rate of 155 before getting injured.

In a press release dated October 25, 2025, BCCI officials explained this move as part of their “long-term succession planning,” with selector Ajit Agarkar sharing insights with reporters at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, “Gill’s composure under pressure makes him ideal for the role.”

Yet Srikkanth, speaking to his Cheeky Cheeka viewers, dismissed this: “Leadership shouldn’t make you undroppable in T20s, where form dictates everything.” Gill’s recent dip, averaging 18 over his last five T20Is, adds to the pressure, as being vice-captain keeps him at No. 3, which means changes need to be made in other spots.

This isn’t just a one-off; Srikkanth pointed out previous biases, such as overlooking Ruturaj Gaikwad’s IPL achievements during the 2024 selections, in that same video.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth raises doubts about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s absence from India’s T20I squad

Yashasvi Jaiswal, the 23-year-old left-handed batsman for Rajasthan Royals, is still sitting on the bench even after an impressive IPL 2025 where he scored 612 runs at a strike rate of 162, along with 450 T20I runs at a strike rate of 140.

His absence from the squad for the Australia series has left many scratching their heads. Srikkanth highlighted this to his YouTube audience, “Yashasvi Jaiswal is waiting in the wings. He’s not there in the team. India has a lot of players like Abhishek Sharma. If players like Yashasvi Jaiswal are given an opportunity, they’ll utilise it. But now he has no window to come into the side.”

Jaiswal played his last T20I in July 2025 against Sri Lanka, scoring 60 runs off 28 balls. According to Agarkar’s comments on October 25, the selectors favored Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive play during the powerplay.

However, Srikkanth argued that Jaiswal’s left-handed batting style helps balance India’s right-handed heavy top order.

The fallout ripples through the squad. Srikkanth noted on Cheeky Cheeka, “With Gill’s inclusion, the overall balance has gone for a toss, so they aren’t sure of what to do. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma don’t have a fixed position, and Arshdeep Singh is missing out on the 11.”

Shubman Gill:

– Replaced Ishan Kishan as opener in ODIs, even after Kishan smashed a double hundred.
– Walked into the T20I setup, forcing Jaiswal to the bench.
– Took the T20I opening spot despite Sanju Samson’s centuries, pushing him to the middle order.
– Kohli retired… pic.twitter.com/jIkzzLvUQW

— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) October 31, 2025

Sarcasm laced his follow-up: “The only good thing is the T20 World Cup is in India, so they’ll escape.” Samson, the wicketkeeper-batsman for Rajasthan Royals, moves around in the middle-order, while Tilak Varma from Mumbai Indians seems a bit unclear about his role.

On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh from Punjab Kings has taken 28 wickets in his last 20 T20Is but is left out even though he’s great at death bowling.

As India prepares to host the 2026 T20 World Cup, the heat is on Agarkar’s panel. Srikkanth’s feedback, which fans are discussing online, suggests they should be more adaptable: include Jaiswal and assess Gill based on his results.

With the Australia series starting on November 5, 2025, in Visakhapatnam, selectors are facing a tough decision, should they prioritize a broader vision or aim for quick victories?