“Show everyone up by qualifying for the semi-final and winning the trophy” - Kris Srikkanth’s message to Team India

Former Indian selector and commentator Kris Srikkanth has stated that the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, needs to defend the silverware in order to shut everyone who criticized them during the whole campaign.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former cricketer asserted that the Indian team should be immune to criticism and gracefully accept it whenever they aren’t performing up to the mark. Notably, his comments came after India’s 76-run defeat to South Africa.

"The only way to answer back is through performance. Show everyone up by qualifying for the semi-final and winning the trophy. Do that, and everyone will shut up. Those who criticized will hail the same Indian team and praise a Suryakumar Yadav or an Abhishek Sharma,” Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

"But that's how this sphere is. When things are going well, everyone will praise them glowingly. But when it goes wrong, everyone will stamp on you. The Indian team are also human beings so they can also make mistakes. But the only thing is that you should be immune to criticism and gracefully accept criticism,” he added.

"Nobody is harsh on a player getting out or the side losing a match. It's about how you lose the match and why you lose the match. Everyone was harsh on Axar Patel not being selected in the 11. None of us were harsh on Varun Chakaravarthy because one off-day can happen to anybody," he stated.

"Nobody wants to be harsh on Indian team. Everyone is only questioning the methodology and the team combination, especially how a guy who has been doing so well, like Axar Patel, wasn't in the team,” he concluded.

India will next take on Zimbabwe in their second Super8 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai on Thursday, February 26.

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