Kris Srikkanth slams India’s KL Rahul move; demands break after IPL

India National Cricket Team has already clinched the ODI series against Afghanistan, but Kris Srikkanth is still not fully satisfied. The Men in Blue looked dominant and took a 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series, but that KL Rahul decision left the former India captain frustrated.

The 1983 World Cup winner has questioned KL Rahul’s batting position and feels the senior batter is not being used properly in ODI cricket despite the ICC World Cup 2026 preparations having begun. Srikkanth also expressed his concerns about India’s packed schedule and mental state of the players.

KL Rahul’s demotion sparks debate

The Indian team management surprised everyone with their decisions over KL Rahul’s role in the first two ODIs against Afghanistan. There are already reports of Rahul losing his place to Ishan Kishan in ODIs.

In the opening match, the right-hander came in at number five, and he remained unbeaten on 39 from just 19 balls and helped India win the match in Dharamshala.

But in the second ODI, Rahul was pushed further down to number six, and he failed to make any impact in Lucknow, where captain Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan struck stunning centuries.

Kris Srikkanth questions India’s KL Rahul experiment against Afghanistan

Reacting to the call, Kris Srikkanth has stressed that Rahul is one of India’s most experienced middle-order batters and should be given a stable position instead of being moved around from one game to another, especially when the ICC World Cup 2027 is not too far away.

The former chief selector believes Rahul is at his best when he bats at number four or number five and warned that changing batting positions regularly can affect his form and confidence and rhythm.

However, the former World Cup winner is not against trying new players, but there is a better way to do it. He believes that the team can rest some regular players and give chances to other options through a rotation system to test their bench strength.

Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, “It is not good for KL Rahul and the team if he is batting at six. In my opinion, he must bat at four or five max. I think they can go by rotation policy. Rest the certainties in some games, give chances, and then pick the side.”

Kris Srikkanth slams India’s packed schedule, demands break after IPL

Meanwhile, the second ODI was played in extremely hot conditions in Lucknow, and now the final ODI is scheduled in Chennai. And the former India captain questioned the reason behind playing an ODI series immediately after a busy IPL season and amid the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Srikkanth believes that a break of at least a few weeks after the IPL would help players spend time with their families and return refreshed for the next challenges. And in this video, fans could completely focus on India’s performance in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

He signed off by saying, “Afghanistan is not a great team really. It is sad. Now they are going to play in Chennai, where it will be very hot. I don’t know how they will play there. It is not fair. I don’t think they should be playing in June. The T20 World Cup and IPL just got over.

Give them a break, and the Women’s T20 World Cup is going on; why don’t we focus on that? There should be a one-month break after the IPL, to be honest. There is no family time, no holiday, and most importantly, no mental break.”