Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth has made strong comments about Pakistan’s batting ahead of their important match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Srikkanth stated that Pakistan’s batting lineup lacks strength and relies heavily on a single player. He mentioned Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 155 runs against India in the T20 Asia Cup 2025, but expressed doubt that he would perform well again.
On his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said:
“Everyone is hyping up Farhan, but tomorrow he’s going to fail. Either Bumrah will get him out, or he will play a poor shot against Varun Chakravarthy and lose his wicket. Once he is dismissed, Pakistan is finished. Their batting is not impressive at all.”
He believes that Indian bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy will be crucial in countering Pakistan’s batting.
Srikkanth Questions Babar Azam and Salman Agha
Srikkanth discussed Pakistan’s best batsman, stating that he sees Shadab Khan as the only valuable T20 player in their lineup. He criticized both Babar Azam and captain Salman Ali Agha.
The former Indian cricketer said:
“Pakistan’s batting relies on Sahibzada Farhan alone. How can they win a World Cup match with just one solid batter? Babar Azam will come and play like it’s a Test match. Salman Agha is just another version of Babar. They really only have Shadab Khan who can create problems in the middle order. They struggle against bowlers like Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah.”
Srikkanth feels that Pakistan’s batting often falters against top-notch bowlers like Bumrah and Chakravarthy.
Pakistan Spin Attack Still a Big Threat
Despite his critical view of Pakistan’s batting, Srikkanth acknowledged their spin bowling as a significant asset. Pakistan used five spinners in their match against the USA and he noted that India’s middle order has had difficulties against spin recently.
Srikkanth said:
“Their spinners are effective, and India has not been very convincing against spin lately. The middle order has had challenges against spinners. It’s a strong lineup, but only when facing good spin attacks. India has struggled.”
Pakistan has faced difficulties against India in their recent T20 matches, losing their last five T20Is, which gives India an advantage going into this match.
Both teams have won their first two matches, making this upcoming game very important. Fans are eager to see how India’s bowlers perform against Pakistan’s spin attack.
