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Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has slammed the national selectors for overlooking Rasikh Salam for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. Kaif believes that Rasikh Salam did everything possible to earn an India call-up but was still left out of the squad.
Kaif feels the selectors missed a big opportunity by not picking a player who performed brilliantly in IPL 2026. He believes that it is tough to understand how a bowler with such strong performances could be overlooked while others with much fewer games behind their names got selected. Amid this, Aakash Chopra drops bold verdict about Harshit Rana before India vs England 4th T20I.
Mayank Yadav, Ashok Sharma and Yash Thakur picked ahead of Rasikh Salam
The BCCI recently announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. Young pacers Ashok Sharma and Yash Thakur received their maiden India call-ups, while Mayank Yadav also returned to the T20I squad.
However, Rasikh Salam, who had an excellent IPL 2026 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), did not find a place in the team. The Jammu & Kashmir fast bowler picked up 19 wickets in just 12 matches and was one of RCB's standout performers during their title-winning campaign.
Reward performers, not favourites: Mohammad Kaif fires over Rasikh Salam's exclusion
Reacting to Rasikh’s snub despite a fantastic IPL 2026 season, Mohammad Kaif believes that such performances should have been enough to earn him a place in the Indian team. He also questioned Yash Thakur's and Mayank Yadav’s selection ahead of Rasikh, saying the national selectors should reward players who keep performing consistently instead of ignoring them.
Mohammad Kaif said in a video on his YouTube channel, “Rasikh Dar Salam took 19 wickets in the IPL, and yet his name isn't being discussed anywhere. But Yash Thakur played just one IPL match and made it into the squad. Mayank Yadav hasn't done much either. He played and ended up getting hit. You need to pick bowlers who have a winning mindset.”
The cricket pundit has pointed out that Rasikh has developed a strong winning mindset after being part of RCB’s two successful campaigns, and he played a key role in those triumphs. Amid this, Mohammad Kaif shares honest verdict on India's leadership experiment in T20Is.
Kaif further explained, “That's the most important thing, a winning mentality. He is a highly skillful bowler. Like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he may not look like an express fast bowler because of his build, but that's not what matters.”
Mohammad Kaif questions India's selection logic over Rasikh Salam snub
The former cricketer also believes Rasikh is a complete T20 fast bowler. He said the youngster can bowl with the new ball in the powerplay and can also handle pressure in the death overs.
Along with that, Rasikh has many variations like slower balls, cross-seam deliveries, swing, and smart game awareness, which make him a dangerous bowler in T20 cricket. And that’s why he was shocked that the RCB star’s name isn't being mentioned anywhere.
Kaif signed off by saying, “I'm genuinely surprised. Here's a player who has been part of RCB's title-winning team twice. He has a winning attitude, a winning mindset, and has spent time in a dressing room full of winners. You can imagine how much confidence that would have given him. I'm really surprised that he still hasn't been given an opportunity. I honestly don't understand how these selections are being made.”
