Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth has made a scathing attack on Pakistan coach Mike Hesson after India’s huge 61-run win in the group match of T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo. It was a one-sided contest in Colombo, where India completely defeated its rivals.
Pakistan had won the toss but decided to bowl first and Srikkanth felt that the decision had cost them the match even before India’s fireworks were over in Colombo. The former Indian chief selector has said that on a pitch like Colombo, batting first and putting runs on the board was always a better option.
Kris Srikkanth criticizes Mike Hesson’s strategy against India
He said that Pakistan made India’s path easier by inviting them to bat first. India’s former World Cup winner also raised questions on Mike Hesson’s strategy. He told that even during his stay with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL, he never won the cup. Srikanth believes that the situation is similar with Pakistan, which is now facing a crisis situation.
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Chris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel ‘Cheeky Cheeka’, “It was a golden opportunity after winning the toss, but they decided to bowl first. Mike Hesson as a coach was at RCB for a long time and he did nothing there either. Everyone knows that on a wicket like this, if you bat first and score 160-170, you can win the game. He handed us the game on a plate and said, “Take this, India. thank you so much.”
Ishan Kishan’s explosive innings changed the game
When sent in to bat, India posted a strong score of 175 runs for 7 wickets on the board in the allotted 20 overs. The star of the night was Ishan Kishan, who scored 77 runs in just 40 balls. His innings included 10 fours and 3 sixes and runs came at an excellent strike rate of 200.
The former Indian chief selector said that Ishan’s innings put Pakistan under immense pressure. Then came an over where he attacked Shadab Khan and scored a lot of runs. After this the match was almost over because India had taken complete control.
He praised Ishaan for playing smart cricket and said that his journey has been impressive. Just four months ago, Ishaan was not even around the Indian team. But after scoring runs in domestic cricket, he got another chance. He came in as a replacement for players like Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson. Now he is batting with great consistency and proving himself in big matches.
Also read: Will Mike Hesson be sacked? Pakistan’s head coach is being criticized for the shocking decision of toss against India
Salute to this boy: Srikanth and Ishaan
“The difference in this game was just five overs: when Ishan scored 38 runs in three overs and then one over where he hit Shadab Khan, the match was over right there,” Srikkanth said. He praised Isha for playing “very intelligent cricket”, adding, “Hats off to this guy.” He also lauded his journey, where he made a wonderful comeback into the national team after a stellar performance in domestic cricket.
Srikkanth criticized Salman Ali Aga’s captaincy against India
He said that if Pakistan had batted first and scored around 150 or 160, they could have at least made the match interesting. The former India captain also questioned the overall quality of Pakistan’s batting and bowling and said that the team looked weak in all departments.
“Even a kid will tell you that you should have won the toss and batted first on this wicket. You are playing here; you know the limitations. This was ridiculous captaincy. There is something wrong with their whole system. If you come or not, it is the same. USA has a better batting lineup,” Srikkanth said.