Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik has defended India’s strategy of backing batting depth in the ongoing Asia Cup. In the opening match against the UAE, India picked Shivam Dube, whereas they ignored Arshdeep Singh.

Karthik admitted that Singh can definitely add more quality with the ball but feels playing with an extra batter makes sense as India has adopted an aggressive batting approach. Furthermore, Shivam Dube returned with impressive figures of 3-4 in the two overs he bowled against the home team.

“Whoever I add in isn’t going to add much in terms of what this team could be doing. Let’s say for example, you put an Arshdeep Singh in place of Shivam Dube. Yes, he will give you a little bit more with the ball but that little bit is not worth what Shivam Dube gives me with the bat. It is not Shivam Dube in isolation. It’s what the team can do having that extra batter. So the whole batting approach changes,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

Karthik said India is clear in their plans, and these are positive signs ahead of the next T20 World Cup in 2026.

“I like this because of the way they play now, which is high-intensity and high-octane cricket, taking huge risks at the top and, irrespective of the situation, going at a certain pace. And if you want to tick all those boxes, you need that extra batter.

“India is a strong team in the lead up to this World Cup because they know what they want to do. They have a clear blueprint with bat and ball and they stick to it, which is always a good sign six months before a World Cup.”

India are ticking the right boxes in T20Is as they have won 26 out of their 29 matches.