Former Indian captain and selector Kris Srikkanth has issued a scathing critique of IPL 2026 skippers Ajinkya Rahane (KKR) and Riyan Parag (RR) following their teams' recent struggles. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth lambasted both players for their lack of batting impact and questionable leadership. Srikkanth was particularly harsh on Riyan Parag, accusing him of prioritising "style" over responsibility. Srikkanth noted Parag is averaging only 15.00 this season, claiming he only holds his spot because he is the captain.
He accused Parag of "arrogance," stating he gets out to "casual shots" instead of anchoring the innings when the top order fails. called Parag's decision to not bowl Ravindra Jadeja for a single over against SRH "absurd" and "nonsense".
"Parag, as usual, is fit only for his stylish walks after doing nothing with bat and ball. There is a competition between him and Rahane as to who's the worst batter. Parag did well one season, and that's it.”
He argued Rahane struggles to accelerate outside the powerplay and should be limited to a "sheet anchor" role at No. 4.He stated that making Rahane captain was the "wrong move" and suggested replacing him with Sunil Narine midway through the season if form doesn't improve.
Kris Srikkanth chooses SRH over DC in clash today
Srikkanth has backed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to defeat Delhi Capitals (DC) in today's IPL 2026 clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. Discussing the match on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth highlighted several reasons for favoring SRH, he listed momentum as a reason they might be the favourites today, as SRH is on a two-match winning streak, having recently defended 194 against CSK.The match is in Hyderabad, where SRH's aggressive top order is averaging a run rate of 11.65 and is expected to thrive on a high-scoring surface.
"SRH will be favorites. DC have a No.3 problem. They are playing Karun Nair there. He's a Test match player playing T20," said Srikkanth.
Srikkanth pointed out that while DC's middle order is stable, their top order has struggled with power-hitting, striking only 12 sixes in five games compared to SRH's 34.
