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Kris Srikkanth calls Ruturaj Gaikwad's NZ ODI exclusion "very unfair" despite strong domestic form, joining Ashwin criticism as Gill/Iyer return while selectors prioritize veterans.

AB de Villiers picks Hardik Pandya as India's "pivotal player who can win games" for T20 World Cup 2026 title defense, praising match-winning all-round impact ahead of batting fireworks.

AB de Villiers calls Mohammed Siraj "one of the unlucky guys" missing T20 World Cup 2026 squad despite strong IPL/RCB form, backing him for ODI resurgence amid NZ series debates.

Mohammed Shami's coach questions selectors after pacer's continued NZ ODI exclusion despite domestic form, joining Irfan Pathan & Ravi Ashwin criticism as Gill/Iyer return amid youth selection push.

Ravi Ashwin declares selectors have moved past key Indian veteran amid Shubman Gill-Shreyas Iyer ODI returns and Mohammed Shami snub, signaling end of Test/ODI career for experienced campaigner.

Irfan Pathan praises young batter's "Bradman-esque average" in domestic cricket, urging selectors to fast-track him into India's ODI squad ahead of New Zealand series amid Shami snub controversy.

Ashwin criticizes ICC's T20 WC 2026 timing clashing with IPL 2026 and major domestic T20 leagues, predicting poor global viewership as fans prioritize club cricket over international showpiece.

Australia batting mainstay Steve Smith (39, 11,205 Test runs @56.99) dismisses retirement rumours post-Ashes, committing to future tours including WTC cycle and stating he's far from finished despite age concerns.

Yuvraj Singh's father Yograj furious at Shubman Gill's T20 WC 2026 exclusion despite captaincy credentials, questioning "if Abhishek Sharma fails, you'll drop him too?" in favour of inconsistent selection logic.

Aakash Chopra picks Shubman Gill (c), Rohit, Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Bumrah, Shami, Arshdeep for NZ ODIs, backing Gaikwad's consistency over Iyer/Padikkal.