India’s fielding must improve: Dinesh Karthik reports a worrying decline

India must raise their fielding standards if they want to win major tournaments, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has warned, pointing to a decline that has persisted despite the team’s recent successes. With the 2027 ODI World Cup looming, India have limited time to sort out a problem that could prove costly as the margin shrinks.

Then speaking on Cricbuzz India’s six-wicket defeat of West Indies in the second T20I in RanchiKarthik questioned the team’s fielding standards. India posted 249/5 with Sanju Samson scoring 82 off 41 balls, but West Indies chased down the target with nine balls to spare. Shai Hope hit an unbeaten 102 off 45 deliveries while Sherfane Rutherford made 84 off 37 balls to help level the five-match series 1-1.

IND vs WI, 2nd T20I: Highlights | Scorecard

“No doubt, 249. If you start thinking it’s going to be a tough game, then you really need to look at yourself. But fielding has been a problem for a while. Because we won the ODI series and the Asian Games, it went a bit unnoticed. But they didn’t do well in the Asian Games final either. They didn’t do well in England either. So Karth Ireland, Ireland.” he said.

“They left the previous fielding coach and I am sure it came at a time when they felt he was not able to take the team to the next level. Now it is Shubhadeep Ghosh, the newly appointed fielding coach and I think he will be under the scanner. Your job is to ensure that Team India catches better than before,” he added.

GHOSH FACES A TESTING CHALLENGE

India appointed Subhadeep Ghosh as the coach of their men’s team in August 2026, replacing T Dilip after the BCCI decided not to renew his contract. Ghosh, who has worked with India A and Andhra, is expected to address the flaws that have repeatedly undermined India’s performances.

Karthik acknowledged Ghosh’s experience but made it clear that the responsibility comes with considerable pressure.

“Being part of the India team is always a challenge and he is a talented fielding coach. He has been around the block for some time now, he was part of the India A team. He was also the fielding coach of the Andhra team,” he said.

The former wicketkeeper also emphasized the need to improve the position of India’s fast bowlers and their ability to sustain chances.

“I think he should figure out a way to get the pacers to stand in the right positions and make sure they hold their catches,” added Karthik.

The Ranchi defeat offered another example. Mayank Yadav dropped Rutherford with the West Indies batting on 38, allowing him to continue the innings that ultimately turned the chase. Rutherford went on to share a 120-run partnership with Hope for the fourth wicket.

Karthik also called for better positioning of India’s fast bowlers and more reliability when chances come their way. The task of the new coach will be to convert these concerns into tangible improvements before India take on their next major tasks.

PREPARATION FOR THE WC BEGINS

Captain Shubman Gill also admitted India’s deployment problems. After the third ODI against West Indies in Mullanpur, Gill admitted that dropped catches and sloppy fielding hurt India during the series, despite the hosts winning it 2-1. West Indies chased India down to 351/7 in the final match, with Shai Hope scoring an unbeaten 162 to take a five-wicket lead.

India’s immediate opportunity to improve will come during the remainder of the West Indies T20I series, followed by their multi-format tour of New Zealand in October and November. The schedule includes five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, giving the team an opportunity to work on their deployment across formats. India are also scheduled to play ODI series against Sri Lanka in December and Zimbabwe in January 2027, before the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Karthik believes the decline is too significant to ignore, regardless of India’s performance in other departments.

“But in general you have to say that Team India’s fielding standards have definitely gone down in the last few months. They will have to pick it up because it is an important aspect if they want to win big tournaments as well,” he said.

The FIFA World Cup starts on October 2, 2027, India will play Australia on October 7 and Pakistan on October 10 in the group stage.

The upcoming ODI tasks will be particularly important, with India needing to build consistency in the format in which they will compete for the biggest prize. Fielding errors can change matches regardless of runs or wickets scored and the Ranchi defeat showed how quickly strong batting can be blown away.

So Karthik’s warning has more than one outcome. India have several months and a tough schedule to correct their shortcomings, but improvements must be visible before the World Cup arrives. If the dropped catches and poor fielding continue, they could become a decisive weakness when India can least afford it.

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