Dinesh Karthik points out at India's key concern (Source: @DineshKarthik/x.com, @mufaddal_vohra/x.com)
With each passing day, the T20 World Cup 2026 is inching closer, and the stakes are going high. Entering the tournament as defending champions, the Men in Blue already carry sky-high expectations on their shoulders. Since the last edition of the tournament, Team India’s T20I stats have become iconic. But just before the marquee event, Dinesh Karthik has flagged a key concern India can’t afford to ignore.
Dinesh Karthik applauds Team India’s T20I dominance
Ending a 17-year long drought, Team India lifted the T20 World Cup in 2024, and the victory became classic. Since that historic night, the Men in Blue have embraced a bold transition, turning the journey into nothing short of a dream run. Since the T20 World Cup final in 2024, the Men in Blue played 36 matches and registered 27 victories.
Adding to this, they faced just five defeats and two matches anded on tie and one with no result. The numbers speak for themselves, painting a clear picture of a team that has ruled the format. Speaking to JioStar’s ‘The Expert View’, former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik hailed India’s dominance in the shortest format.
“The Indian team is in a very strong position at the moment. As we sit here, they have won 29 out of the 36 matches they have played in T20 cricket post the World Cup, which is a phenomenal record to have. In a very fickle format like T20, where upsets are the norm, this level of consistency is remarkable,” he said.
“Winning 29 out of the last 36 games they have played is, I feel, very hard to replicate. For starters, it tells you about the strength of the team. They have also played a very good Asia Cup in the recent past and went past Pakistan in the final, beating them three out of three times, he added.
Unpredictability makes this format pure magic
In the T20I format, there is no final word before the final ball. India has been placed in Group A in the upcoming tournament with Pakistan, Namibia, the USA, and the Netherlands. While the world eyes the India-Pakistan clash, Dinesh Karthik has warned that the format’s unpredictability can flip any contest on its head.
“If you look at the depth of this group, there's India, there's Pakistan, and then there are three associate nations who are still finding their feet at the international level. You would expect India or Pakistan to beat them, but the beauty of this format is that you cannot walk into any game thinking it is going to be easy,” he said.
“You lose the toss, you are bowling, and suddenly, you are thinking this could be challenging at the back end. You need to get an above-par score to give yourself a chance to defend under dew. So, I would say India are in a very good place,” he added.
Karthik identifies the one thing India must fix
For the Indian side, the upcoming edition of the tournament is going to be a little more special as they are going to play it on home soil. With a squad boasting the perfect mix of pace and spin, the Men in Blue look well-equipped on paper. However, ahead of their campaign, Dinesh Karthik has flagged death bowling as a key concern that could test India when it matters most.
“Death bowling is a concern. I think it's a challenge because of the way they stack up their eleven. When they have played in the subcontinent, they have gone with (Jasprit) Bumrah, Hardik (Pandya) as the second pacer, and Shivam Dube as the third, while backing their spinners heavily. At times, when the game goes deep, especially when they are defending a total, the back end can become a challenge,” he said.
As the tournament is set to go live on the big stage on February 7, Team India will face the USA as their first opponent. Riding high from last season’s success, the Men in Blue will be eager to set the tone early and replicate their winning form.
