Former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has named his all-time T20I XI for Team India. The list features current world No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma along with white-ball greats such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.
Surprisingly, India’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest format -- Arshdeep Singh -- failed to make the cut. There was no place for Yuzvendra Chahal, who has most dismissals to his name as a spinner for India in T20Is, and Ravindra Jadeja either.
Instead, Karthik opted to go with Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy, who have claimed 71 and 33 T20I scalps, respectively, so far.
“I’m going to start with the newest entrant who has just made his mark in international cricket in the last couple of years. And I think he has a superb future. Terrific player at this format, Abhishek Sharma. He gives you a little bit of the ball, but man, when he gets going, he is a million bucks to watch. Great player, great shots, but most importantly, an intent monster. And that I love about him,” Karthik said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
Karthik called Rohit the absolute OG of the T20I format, and hailed Kohli as probably the greatest player of all time in T20Is.
“And next, an absolute OG. One who’s been playing from the inception of this format for Team India, Rohit Sharma. As good as gold; it doesn’t get better than that. He is consistent; he is obviously so talented, but most importantly, he’s won a World Cup twice for Team India."
“The third, number three. King. How can you not have King Kohli? Probably the greatest ever player across time in this format. So, fitting him at number three was too easy. Probably, I have to say, one of the greatest players India has had across formats. But definitely in the T20 format, he is not a name you can miss across a world XI. Forget a Team India XI.”
Karthik slotted Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4 in his all-time XI, followed by Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni.
“At No. 4, I have Mr Surya Kumar Yadav, the current captain. And the kind of shots that he’s played, the kind of innings that he’s played, and the consistency he’s shown at the strike rate that he bats. Outstanding. Brilliant. I mean, you can’t not enjoy Surya Kumar Yadav."
“At No. 5, one of my all-time favourites. Just easy on the eye. The first person to hit six sixes in this format for Team India – Yuvraj Singh. One of the greatest ever. When he gets going, he wins you World Cups. Forget bilaterals or just small little tournaments. World Cups he wins. So, Yuvraj Singh at number five."
“At No. 6, definitely the most valuable asset of India even today. Mr Hardik Pandya. He gives you so much with the bat and enough and more with the ball, like he did in that 2024 T20 World Cup final. He was outstanding. That last over the way he delivered, you don’t need to say much about his batting. He’s always been outstanding and very attractive to watch at the death over."
“At No. 7, who is going to be the captain as well for me, Mr Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Purely because of what he brings to the table in terms of death hitting and how he has absolutely made a mark for himself in winning close games and doing it his own way, most importantly. That has been remarkable to watch. And for me, at number seven, the captain.”
According to Karthik, Axar is a very underrated player who he believes adds so much value to the team.
“At No. 8, he’s a very underrated player, I believe. He gives you a lot more than what meets the eye. Mr Axar Patel. Even in that 2024 T20 World Cup final, we speak about so many knocks. Virat Kohli is brilliant, 50, Hardik’s bowling, and Bumrah’s bowling. But the one knock that went quite unnoticed, underrated as always, was from Axar Patel, who gives you a lot with the bat and with the ball. We all know how consistent and good he is."
Chakaravarthy features in Karthik’s team as a premier spinner. “At No. 9, one of the most talented mystery spinners India has ever had. He’s been very consistent in the limited time that he’s played for India. Across nations, I have to say, South Africa has done well. In Dubai, we all know how consistently he’s done well. He’s been an asset for KKR for many, many years, and he will continue to be so. Varun Chakaravarthy, who is slowly but steadily growing in the ranks of international cricket. Easily one of the most talented bowlers along with the rest of the world in this format."
Karthik picked Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the two fast bowlers, hailing the former as the greatest bowler to ever exist across formats.
“At number 10, the greatest bowler to ever exist across formats and probably, when he finishes his career, will be looked at as one of the greatest bowlers to have ever played this sport. For the record, he’s created across formats. Just play Bumrah, don’t need to say too much about him. If he plays, the chances of India winning that game multiply and magnify quite a lot. And I feel he is definitely the greatest ever bowler in this format across time periods."
“At No. 11 was a tough one. I thought Arshdeep Singh has been brilliant, but I have gone for someone who I have played a lot with, and I have found it hard to always try and get hold of him. A very talented player across spaces, he is able to pick wickets if you want him to bowl defensively. He does that. He does what the team needs. An absolute team man, and it was a tough choice between Ashdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But at number 11, I have gone for Bhuvneshwar Kumar," he remarked.
