Kris Srikkanth Slams Ajit Agarkar And Co For Picking DC Star As Varun Chakaravarthy's Replacement At Asian Games

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has slammed the selection committee for including all-rounder Vipraj Nigam in India's squad for the Asian Games 2026 as a replacement for injured spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. The 35-year-old suffered an injury during the first T20I against Afghanistan and was subsequently ruled out of the remaining two matches of the series, as well as the upcoming Asian Games. As his replacement, the BCCI picked Vipraj, who impressed many during his maiden IPL campaign for Delhi Capitals in 2025.

In his debut IPL season, Vipraj scored 142 runs at a strike rate of 180 and also claimed 11 wickets in 14 matches. However, his form dipped in 2026, when he featured in only five games, scoring 15 runs and taking just two wickets.

"How did Vipraj Nigam get into the squad out of nowhere? On what basis has he been picked? Is he such a great bowler to be picked as a like-for-like for Varun Chakaravarthy? You can't dish out the Indian cap like this to everyone. It's like you can purchase an Indian cap in a shop now," said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.

The 1983 World Cup winner also questioned the continued omission of Krunal Pandya, Rajat Patidar, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, despite the trio delivering several match-winning performances.

"What wrong have Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar done in life? Some of these selections are baffling. Age cannot be the only decider, as it seems to be with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya. It's also about capability and performance," said Srikkanth.

"The younger players have to push these guys out through performances. But have Yash Thakur or Ravi Bishnoi done that through performances? Definitely not. These guys don't even fit into the 11 for IPL teams," he added.

India defeated Afghanistan by 127 runs in the third and final T20I of the three-match series on Thursday in Delhi, completing a 3-0 clean sweep.

India's Asian Games 2026 campaign will begin from the quarterfinal stage on September 28 in Nagoya, Japan.

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