In anticipation of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has highlighted a potential vulnerability in India's strategy. While he acknowledges that the 'Men in Blue' are in a formidable position following a dominant run of form, he expressed concern regarding the team's death bowling. Karthik noted that this weakness stems from the way the playing eleven is structured, specifically pointing to the team's heavy reliance on their spin department.
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India's recent success has indeed been built on a spin-dominant foundation. Since their 2024 T20 World Cup victory, Varun Chakravarthy has emerged as the standout performer, leading the bowling attack with 53 wickets in 27 matches at an impressive average of nearly 13. In contrast, Arshdeep Singh is the only pace bowler to feature among the team's top five wicket-takers in that period. This strategy has proven effective so far, helping India win 27 of their last 36 matches and secure an Asia Cup title in the spin-friendly conditions of the UAE.
India's death bowling is a concern heading into T20 World Cup: Dinesh Karthik
Despite these phenomenal statistics in such an unpredictable format, Karthik warned that the World Cup will present a different level of challenge. As India prepares to open their campaign against the USA on February 7, they face a Group A lineup that includes Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands. The tactical decision to prioritize spinners like Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel has served them well in bilateral series, but the death-overs execution remains a critical factor to watch as the tournament progresses.
"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. 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. 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. 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," Karthik said, as quoted by ANI.
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When they are defending a total, the back end can become a challenge: Karthik
Later, the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out India's death bowling concerns and said:
"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."
India's T20 World Cup squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh