Dinesh Karthik picks India’s all-time T20I playing XI ahead of 2025 Asia Cup; doesn’t make Virat Kohli captain

Former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has named his all-time India T20I XI ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup, which begins on September 9. The 40-year-old revealed his selections in a video shared by Cricbuzz, choosing youngster Abhishek Sharma and India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning skipper Rohit Sharma as his openers.

At No. 3, Karthik slotted in veteran Virat Kohli, who retired from T20Is in 2024 as India’s second-highest run-scorer. The former captain piled up 4,188 runs in 117 innings at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04, including 38 half-centuries and a century.

For the No. 4 position, he chose current T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who has been a standout performer since making his debut in 2021. The 34-year-old has already become India’s third-highest run-getter in the format with 2,598 runs.

Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik chose former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh at No. 5, recalling the iconic moment when he became the first cricketer to hit six sixes in a T20I during the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup. At No. 6, he picked India’s current premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who played a pivotal role in the team’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

For the No. 7 slot, he went with MS Dhoni, naming him captain of the side. Dhoni famously led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup title, a squad that also featured Karthik. The legendary wicketkeeper-batter captained India in 72 T20Is, winning 42, losing 28, with two ending in no results.

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India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is misses out from Dinesh Karthik’s all-time XI

Alongside Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik added another all-rounder at No. 8, naming Axar Patel, whom he described as “underrated.” The 31-year-old was part of India’s squad that lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup.

In the seam-bowling department, Karthik picked Jasprit Bumrah, the Player of the Tournament in the 2024 T20 World Cup, who has 89 scalps to his name. As his second pacer, he overlooked India’s highest wicket-taker in the format, Arshdeep Singh (99 wickets), and instead went with veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose last T20I appearance came in 2022. Bhuvneshwar has 90 wickets in 87 games.

The final spot in the XI went to mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. The 34-year-old has enjoyed an impressive past 12 months in India colors, picking up 33 wickets in 18 matches in his overall T20I career.

Dinesh Karthik’s all-time India T20I XI: Abhishek Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (c), Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakaravarthy.