India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final of Asian Games 2026 to win the gold medal.
Ravi Bishnoi, India leg-spinner, came in for some criticism from former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth after his expensive bowling in the recent final of the Asian Games 2026 between India and Pakistan that was played for the gold medal in Nisshin on October 3.
India won the toss and elected to bat first, putting up a total score of 211/6 in 20 overs, with Abhishek Sharma (61) and Tilak Varma (51*) scoring the most runs.
In reply to this, Hasan Nawaz came out to be the main man who chased for Pakistan and scored 96 runs with 7 sixes and 5 fours. Pakistan only managed 192/6 in 20 overs and lost the final by 19 runs. This was the second time India won the gold medal in men's cricket at the Asian Games.
The match went very close thanks to Hasan Nawaz’s brilliant knock and some very ordinary bowling by Ravi Bishnoi, who went for 44 runs in his 3 overs and couldn’t manage to pick up a wicket.
Kris Srikkanth humorously took a swipe at Bishnoi’s action, stating that his body only turns and the ball does not grip or turn on a spinning wicket.
“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,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth further stated that Pakistan believed that they could have won the game if Bishnoi had continued bowling. He also quipped that Bishnoi was the only bowler going for 14 runs per over on a pitch that aided spinners and felt that the spinner should not be included in the Indian squad.
"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.
Bishnoi will be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies that begins on October 6 in Lucknow. But it remains to be seen whether Bishnoi gets a game after his recent performances.