Former India's star wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has handpicked the star-studded India's all-time T20I XI. The team is a mix of established legends and some surprising new faces, but only six Asia Cup 2025-bound Indian cricketers made it to his final line-up. Interestingly, Karthik chose to bypass Rohit Sharma, India's most recent T20 World Cup-winning captain, for the leadership role, instead anointing MS Dhoni as captain, the man who led India to glory in the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007.
Karthik's squad features a notable selection in the opening pair. He chose a combination of a seasoned legend and a promising newcomer: Rohit Sharma, who recently retired after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, and Abhishek Sharma, a young player with fewer than 20 T20I appearances. Despite his limited experience, Abhishek has already made a significant impact, amassing 535 runs in just 17 T20I matches, including two centuries and two half-centuries.
Dinesh Karthik's all-time T20I XI features a formidable middle order. Virat Kohli, who also retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup, is slated to bat at number three. Following him is the current T20I captain of India, Suryakumar Yadav, at number four. The team is well-balanced with a trio of all-rounders: spin-bowling all-rounders Yuvraj Singh and Axar Patel, and pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
The team's leader, MS Dhoni, will also anchor the lower order, batting at number seven. The pace attack is a combination of experience and skill, led by Jasprit Bumrah, who is part of the current Asia Cup squad, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is not currently in the national squad. The spin department has a surprising addition in Varun Chakaravarthy. The mystery spinner, with 33 wickets in 18 T20Is, will be the team's sole frontline spinner. His recent form has also earned him a spot in the ODI team, where he has taken 10 wickets in just four matches.
Dinesh Karthik's all-time India T20I XI:
MS Dhoni (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Abhishek Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy