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Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has flagged death bowling as a key concern for Team India ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, despite the side's dominant run in the shortest format.

India have won 29 of their last 36 T20 internationals since lifting the T20 World Cup in 2024, establishing themselves as one of the most consistent teams in a notoriously unpredictable format. Speaking on JioStar's The Experts' View, Karthik acknowledged India's impressive record but cautioned that success so far does not guarantee smooth sailing in a global tournament. He highlighted that India's team composition, particularly the heavy reliance on spinners, could pose challenges in crunch situations. "Death bowling is a concern. I think it's a challenge because of the way they stack up their XI," Karthik said. India have leaned heavily on their spin trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in recent months, a strategy that has paid dividends in the subcontinent and spin-friendly conditions. Varun has emerged as India's leading wicket-taker in the period, while Arshdeep Singh remains the only pacer among the top five Indian bowlers since the 2024 World Cup triumph. However, Karthik warned that defending totals, especially at the back end of innings, could become problematic against quality opposition. "At times, especially when they are defending a total, the back end can become a challenge," he said, pointing to situations where India field only one frontline pacer alongside Hardik Pandya and a batting all-rounder, while placing faith in spinners. India are placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA and will begin their campaign against the USA on February 7. While Karthik expects India or Pakistan to be favourites on paper, he underlined that no match in T20 cricket can be taken lightly, particularly with factors like dew and toss influencing outcomes. With a strong squad depth and recent success behind them, India enter the tournament in a confident position. Yet, as Karthik's assessment suggests, addressing death bowling concerns could be crucial if the team is to convert consistency into another world title.