Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth slammed Ravi Bishnoi’s performance after his expensive spell against Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 final on Saturday. Srikkanth said Bishnoi only turns his body in his run-up but he fails to turn the ball.
Bishnoi conceded 44 runs in his three overs and wicket wicketless, thus he was not up to the mark. Hasan Nawaz, who top-scored with 96 runs, took Bishnoi to the cleaners, smashing him for 20 runs in the 13th over of the innings. The leg-spinner conceded his runs at an economy rate of 14.70 and was the expensive Indian bowler.
Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube Channel, “What kind of a spinner is he if he can’t even turn the ball on a turning wicket? But for Ravi Bishnoi, only his body turns, and the ball never turns. He’s the only bowler who can’t turn the ball as a leg-spinner when on a rank turner. He didn’t even turn the ball one inch. How’s that even possible? It’s an art with Bishnoi (sarcasm).”
“People keep hyping him up, and eventually there’ll be one inning he’ll do well in. Any cricketer, if you keep hyping him up, will inevitably do well in one innings. After that, they’ll say he’s back to form, even though the next 10 innings he’ll fail. A leg-spinner should first turn the ball. Even random spinners from Pakistan are turning the ball. Even Abhishek Sharma was spinning the ball.”
The 1983 World Cup winning player said Indians are scared when Bishnoi comes into the bowling attack.
“When Bishnoi was bowling, Pakistan actually believed they could win. Indians are scared when he bowls, not the Pakistanis. On a turning wicket, nobody but him can give 14 runs per over. Even a fan won’t give as much. Only Ravi Bishnoi can give away so many on a rank turner. He has to be out of the team so that other deserving bowlers or spinners get an opportunity,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
India will next take on the West Indies in a five-match T20I series, starting Tuesday. Bishnoi is part of the squad and he would look to bounce back strongly.
