Robin Uthappa questions India’s squad choices, backing Rinku Singh’s inclusion and Tilak Varma’s anchor role for 2026.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has questioned the team management’s handling of selections ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. He expressed disappointment over Rinku Singh’s omission from the recent home series against South Africa, only for the batter to be added later to the World Cup squad.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa argued that Rinku should have been included in the bilateral series. He suggested that India could have carried a 16‑member squad instead of restricting themselves to 15 players. “Rinku should have been there in the first place. You should have just carried a 16th player in your bilateral. You didn’t need only 15. It’s a bilateral, you carry 16‑17; who the heck cares? And you just reduce the team from that,” Uthappa said.
He added that such flexibility would have allowed selectors to assess options more effectively before finalizing the World Cup lineup. “It actually supports your narrative if you carry 16‑17 in a home bilateral series, and then if you have a World Cup squad coming up, you can actually pick out who you want to pick out,” he explained.
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Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan have now returned to India’s squad for the upcoming tournament, while Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma, who featured against South Africa, were left out of the final roster.
Uthappa also shared his views on India’s batting approach in T20Is. He cautioned against relying solely on ultra‑aggressive tactics, pointing out that such methods may not hold up in high‑pressure matches. Instead, he recommended that Tilak Varma be entrusted with the anchor role in the batting order.
“When you’re playing cricket that aggressively, and if you’re following the template SunRisers Hyderabad follows in the IPL, you will do exceptionally well in patches, but that is not sustainable in big games. He (Tilak) can play the anchor, and that should be the role that should be handed down to him. The beauty about Tilak is that he can play both roles,” Uthappa said.
Tilak Varma’s performances in the South Africa series strengthened his case. The left‑handed batter emerged as the highest run‑scorer, amassing 187 runs across four innings at a strike rate of 131.69. His ability to adapt between aggression and stability has made him a strong candidate for a pivotal role in India’s World Cup campaign.
