Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik was left stunned by Team India’s batting decisions during the third T20I against England, openly questioning Gautam Gambhir-led management’s tactics after a dramatic top-order collapse at Trent Bridge. Chasing a daunting target of 202, India’s star-studded batting lineup crumbled under pressure as England’s pace attack ripped through the top order inside the powerplay.
Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, captain Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel all departed within the first six overs, leaving India reeling at a critical stage of the match. With the innings in complete disarray, the team management made the surprising decision to send fast bowler Harshit Rana ahead of all-rounder Shivam Dube.
The move immediately sparked criticism, with Dinesh Karthik expressing his disbelief on live commentary. “Harshit Rana coming to bat before Shivam Dube, are you kidding me? I don’t even think Harshit Rana has ever batted in the powerplay, even in domestic cricket,” Karthik remarked.
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The former India cricketer acknowledged the importance of maintaining a left-right batting combination in T20 cricket but insisted that promoting a specialist bowler over an established batter made little sense in such a high-pressure situation.
Dinesh Karthik is brutal in the commentary!!
And Goutham Gambhir can’t even drop DK from commentary 😭 😂
— ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತ (@alpasankhyata) July 7, 2026
“You can get the left-right combination working in T20 cricket, but only up to a point. Not Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube,” he added.
India’s batting never recovered from the early collapse and the visitors were bundled out for just 76, their second-lowest total in T20I history. England sealed a dominant 125-run victory to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
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The crushing defeat also extended India’s difficult run under new captain Shreyas Iyer, with the team still searching for its first completed T20I victory under his leadership heading into the fourth T20I in Bristol.
