Karthik’s comments come after India endured disappointing results in recent T20I assignments in Ireland and England. With Shreyas Iyer now leading the side, Karthik believes the team needs greater clarity over its batting order, bowling combination and overall identity.
“What is the batting order going to look like? Where does Vaibhav Suryavanshi stand, and what about Sanju Samson? How are you going to fit him in? He was such an important player in the World Cup and was dropped midway through that England series. Where does he stand?” Karthik said.
Samson’s selection has been inconsistent in recent months. He featured in the opening T20I against England but was subsequently dropped before returning for the final match. He was then left out of the Zimbabwe series before earning a recall for the Afghanistan tour.
The wicketkeeper-batter’s credentials remain strong after being named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, the emergence of young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi has added further competition for places in India’s batting lineup.
Karthik also stressed that India must establish a clear identity under their new leadership and use the Afghanistan series to determine which players they can rely on going forward.
“I want this Indian T20 team to understand what their identity is. New captain, new vice-captain. They haven’t got the result in Ireland or in England. They were absolutely outplayed there,” Karthik said.
He added that the series should not be viewed solely through the lens of results, but as an opportunity to identify the right combination and understand what the team needs ahead of major upcoming assignments.
With the Asian Games also on the horizon, India will be keen to use the Afghanistan series to settle their batting order and bowling combination and build a clear T20I strategy.
