India, Oct. 5 -- India have announced a squad for the ODIs in Australia with an eye to the future. With Shubman Gill as the captain, there is a clutch of fringe names who are auditioning for bigger roles with an eye on the World Cup in 2027. While this should indicate long-term planning, Kris Srikkanth's take-down on his Cheeky Cheeka YouTube channel has hijacked the narrative.

Srikkanth's central accusation of "Best is to be like Harshit Rana and be a constant yes-man to Gambhir to be selected" cuts deep. He also argued that if Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are in the mix, you can wave goodbye to the trophy and that India aren't truly building for 2027. His remarks have sparked a fresh debate about merit versus favourites.

Speaki...