Coach’s favorites are back: Badrinath beats Gambhir over T20I selection
Former India batsman S Badrinath has questioned the inclusion of Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan while taking an indirect dig at head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Respond to India’s 15-man squadBadrinath questioned the continued support of some players, especially Sundar, and also expressed reservations about Reddy’s credentials as a bowling all-rounder.
“On the face of it, the coach’s favorites are back. Washington Sundar is getting huge support in Indian cricket. He really needs to capitalize on it,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel. Badrinath then turned his attention to Reddy, making it clear that his assessment of the youngster was primarily based on his bowling ability rather than his batting.
“And somehow I don’t rate Nitish Kumar Reddy that high. That’s because of his bowling. I still feel he’s a batsman and not someone I rate with the ball,” he said.
Sundar and Nitish have both been included in the Indian squad for the Afghanistan series, which begins on September 13 in Delhi. The streak comes as India has made several changes to its squad ahead of the gold medal defense at the Asian Games later this month in Japan.
The squad also includes Jasprit Bumrah, who could return to the T20I squad after missing the recent tour of Sri Lanka due to a left knee injury. Harshit Rana was also included, with the participation of Bumrah, Sundar, Nitish and Rana subject to approval from the BCCI Center of Excellence.
While Badrinath questioned the inclusion of Sundar and Nitish, he saw the potential return of Bumrah as a big boost for the Indian team ahead of the Asian Games.
“Bumrah’s return is a big positive,” said Badrinath.
Temper last featured in the ODI series in England in July before a left knee injury ruled him out of the subsequent tour of Sri Lanka. However, Badrinath suggested that Bumrah’s inclusion may have been influenced by the fast bowler himself, who was looking to return to the field after an extended spell away from competitive cricket.
“It could also be that Bumrah has told the management that he wants to play these three matches. Then they have to pick him. We don’t know,” he said.
Badrinath further speculated that Bumrah could have gone directly with Gambhir or the selection committee about his desire to return.
“Bumrah might have spoken to Gambhir or the selection committee and said he wanted to play because he hadn’t played cricket for a long time. So it might have been Bumrah’s choice,” he added.
India will face Afghanistan in the first T20I in Delhi on September 13.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
04 Sep 2026 15:49 IST