# Srikkanth: Gambhir has no work against Sri Lanka, a bad side 2026-08-23T19:49:12+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Former India chief selector Kris Srikkanth has criticised head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying he has no work in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka because the opposition is a 'bad' side. Srikkanth also questioned Gambhir's decision to back Sai Sudharsan as India's long-term number three batter, while Devdutt Padikkal scored a century in the first Test after being recalled. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said: 'Gambhir has no work. How can you replace Padikkal going forward with the 200+ runs he has scored in the first Test? Gambhir just says something, and anyway he has no work in the Sri Lankan series because Sri Lanka is a bad side and India will surely win.' He added that Gambhir was a good player and reader of the game but could be more communicative. Sudharsan, who scored 383 runs in seven Tests, was ruled out of the series with a toe injury. Padikkal, who played his previous Test in November 2024, scored a century in the first Test and another in the second. India lead the two-match series 1-0. ## Indian Opinion Analysis This is not the first time a former India selector has publicly questioned a head coach's player management. Srikkanth's criticism of Gambhir's rotation of young batters echoes similar debates around Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw in recent years. With India comfortably ahead in a low-stakes series against a weakened Sri Lanka side, the real test of Gambhir's man-management will come in tougher assignments like the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The selection of a long-term number three remains unresolved, and the next away tour will reveal whether Padikkal or Sudharsan gets the nod. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com Leads with Srikkanth's provocative 'no work' quote and 'bad side' jibe, framing the story around controversy rather than the cricket itself. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Devdutt Padikkal, Gautam Gambhir, India cricket team, Kris Srikkanth, Sai Sudharsan, Sri Lanka cricket team Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/srikkanth-gambhir-has-no-work-against-sri-lanka-a-bad-side/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/srikkanth-gambhir-has-no-work-against-sri-lanka-a-bad-side/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/