Dinesh Karthik praised India’s cricket depth, saying the team could field two to three teams simultaneously. After India’s 2025 Champions Trophy win, experts highlighted the strength of domestic cricket, with Mitchell Starc noting India is the only nation capable of fielding T20I, ODI, and Test teams on the same day. Mitchell Starc’s comments have been echoed by an Indian legend Dinesh Karthik , saying the team can now field 2-3 teams at the same time.
According to Mitchell Starc, India is probably the only nation that can have a Test team, a one-day team, and a T20 team play on the same day and still be competitive.
Mitchell Starc Praises Depth Of Talent In Indian Cricket
Star Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has reserved big praise for the depth of talent in Indian cricket. According to Starc, who has won full ICC titles so far with Australia, India is the only team in the world at present that can field three different teams in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is and still be competitive against any top team in the world.
While speaking in a show on the YouTube channel ‘FanaticsTV,’ the left-arm pacer, who is set to play for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, said,
“I think they (India) are probably the only nation that can have a Test team, a one-day team, and a T20 team play on the same day against Australia in the Test, England in the one-dayer, and South Africa in the T20I; and India will be competitive.”
“No other country can do that,” he added.
Mitchell Starc’s response was part of his reply to a question in which he was asked if IPL has helped India in white-ball tournaments. Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik also echoed Mitchell Starc’s word and supported him in his statement.
Dinesh Karthik supports Mitchell Starc praises of Indian Talent depth ahead of IPL 2025
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik hailed the bench strength available in the country, saying the national side can now field two to three teams in international cricket simultaneously. After Rohit Sharma and Co’s Champions Trophy 2025 win, several pundits have been raving about the quality of domestic cricket in India. Recently, Australia pacer Mitchell Starc also said that India is probably the only team in the world that can have a T20I, ODI and Test team play on the same day.
Dinesh Karthik has now echoed Starc’s comments, who credited the national side’s success to the Indian Premier League (IPL). He stated that the young players get a chance to rub shoulders with some of the biggest international cricketers and are not overawed when they get to the biggest stage.
“We can say that since the IPL has become a part of Indian cricket’s fabric, they can now field two to three teams in international cricket at the same time and almost compete with each one of them,” said Karthik during the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit Powered by Leaders at the Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence on Friday.
“Right now, India is in a very privileged place where they have such a good assortment of cricketers across skill sets,” he added.
Dinesh Karthik also credited the rise of the IPL for bringing a winning mentality to the country’s cricketers. The former India wicketkeeper, currently part of RCB’s coaching staff, also opened up about how he became a better sportsperson by spending some time with Glenn McGrath at Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
“The IPL has brought out a winning mentality in all our players. With the influx of money and the financial benefits that a lot of the teams receive, and in turn the stakeholders, a lot of it has been put back in infrastructure. So, when infrastructure grows, eventually the quality of sport develops as well,” said Karthik.
“For me, the whole ideology of how Australia played at that time was a massive shock. They felt like a pack of wolves out to win every game. But with IPL, in my first year I got to spend time with Glenn McGrath in close quarters and practice with him, I got to know him better and became comfortable, that helped the confidence and mindset of competing with the best,” he added.
Starc was included in Australia’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad announced on January 12, but in February he opted out of the eight-team tournament due to personal reasons. Starc, who is the all-time leading wicket-taker in ICC white-ball tournaments, is, however, set to travel to India this week to join DC camp in Visakhapatnam ahead of the team’s first match against Lucknow Super Giants on March 24.
India won the Champions Trophy 2025 after beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final in Dubai. This was the third time that India won the Champions Trophy after 2000 and 2013. Returning to the IPL 2025, the 18th edition will get underway on March 22 with the opening match between RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).