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Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has sparked a fresh debate over the national cricket team’s latest selection criterion after Suryansh Shedge was picked as Nitish Kumar Reddy's replacement for the ongoing T20I series against Ireland and the upcoming England tour.
Ahead of the second T20I in Belfast on Sunday (June 28), Kaif questioned whether Indian cricket has started calling too many players "all-rounders" without them actually making equal contributions with both bat and ball for the team.
Mohammad Kaif slams India's all-rounder selection after Suryansh Shedge makes debut
Actually, Suryansh Shedge received his maiden India call-up after Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out of the Ireland and England tours with a left quadriceps injury. Nitish has struggled with fitness over the past few years and has missed several matches due to repeated injury setbacks.
His latest injury forced the selectors to look for a replacement, and the 23-year-old Mumbai all-rounder got the opportunity. Suryansh Shedge earned his place before his impressive performances for India A in the recent one-day tri-series, where India A defeated Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A to win the trophy.
Batting in the lower middle order, Shedge scored 147 runs at a strike rate of 120.49. He also bowled 23 overs across five innings, taking two wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 6.04. The youngster also enjoyed a productive IPL 2026 season with the Punjab Kings.
He scored 158 runs in seven innings at an average of 39.50 and an outstanding strike rate of 175.55, proving himself as a powerful finisher. Suryansh Shedge did not get a chance in the first T20I against Ireland, and India went on to suffer a shocking 34-run defeat in Belfast. However, Suryansh Shedge earned his debut cap in the second and final T20I in Belfast.
Mohammad Kaif questions India's all-rounder culture
Before the must-win clash for India, Mohammad Kaif questioned the way modern cricket is using the word "all-rounder," saying the meaning of a genuine all-rounder has changed over the years.
As Suryansh Shedge makes his India debut on Sunday, Kaif said there is a huge difference between a proper all-rounder and a batter who bowls only one or two overs. Amid this, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's ₹12 crore demand delays Sponsorship deal ahead of India debut.
Mohammad Kaif told sports journalist Ravish Bisht on his YouTube channel, “I believe that a bowler who is a part-time bowler should not be called an all-rounder. I have been observing for so many years that you are calling Shivam Dubey an all-rounder."
"He can bowl two overs. You are calling Hardik Pandya an all-rounder. You are calling Flintoff an all-rounder. You are calling Jacques Kallis an all-rounder, but there is a huge difference.”
Mohammad Kaif fumes over 'Fake All-Rounder' tag, names Kapil Dev, Kallis, Flintoff as the real ones
The former Indian batter stressed that an occasional batter or bowler should not be called an all-rounder, as they do not do what the legendary all-rounders were used to doing with both bat and ball. He said players like Kapil Dev, Jacques Kallis, and Andrew Flintoff were genuine all-rounders because they could make a match-winning impact with both bat and ball.
The cricket pundit suggests that modern cricket should clearly separate batting all-rounders from genuine all-rounders instead of putting everyone in the same category.
Kaif further added, "Don't call everyone an all-rounder. All-rounder means proper bowling and proper batting. Or you can call it a batting all-rounder. He will bowl one or two overs. People are confusing the public here."
"When we grew up, all-rounders were Jacques Kallis. Take a reverse swing and take a new ball. Get number three in batting. Andrew Flintoff was a finisher and a fabulous all-rounder. Kapil Dev was an all-rounder.”
