India's fielding needs to improve: Dinesh Karthik flags worrying decline

India's recent successes have masked a growing concern in the field, with dropped catches and poor positioning becoming recurring problems. Dinesh Karthik believes the team must address these lapses ahead of a demanding year of cricket and the 2027 ODI World Cup.India's Mayank Yadav dropped a catch offered by Sherfane Rutherford during the second T20. (ScreenGrab: JioHotstar)New Delhi,Oct 10, 2026 11:24 ISTIndia need to raise their fielding standards if they want to win major tournaments, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has warned, pointing to a decline that has persisted despite the team's recent successes. With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, India have limited time to address an issue that could prove costly when the margins become finer.Speaking on Cricbuzz after India's six-wicket defeat to West Indies in the second T20I in Ranchi, Karthik questioned the team's standards in the field. India had posted 249/5, with Sanju Samson scoring 82 off 41 balls, but West Indies chased down the target with nine balls to spare. Shai Hope struck an unbeaten 102 off 45 deliveries, while Sherfane Rutherford made 84 off 37 balls to help level the five-match series 1-1.IND vs WI, 2nd T20I: Highlights | Scorecard“No doubt, 249. If you start thinking it's going to be a hard match, then you really need to look at yourself. But fielding has been an issue for some time now. Because we have won the ODI series and the Asian Games, it has gone a bit unnoticed. But even in the final of the Asian Games, they didn't field well. In England, they didn't field well. In Ireland, they didn't field well either. So, it has been an issue,” Karthik said. “They have let go of the previous fielding coach, and I'm sure it has come at a point when they felt he wasn't able to get the team to the next level. Now, it is Shubhadeep Ghosh, the newly appointed fielding coach, and I think he will be under the scanner. Your job is to make sure Team India fields better than it did before. If you're not able to do that, you will face the heat,” he added.GHOSH FACES A TESTING ASSIGNMENTIndia appointed Subhadeep Ghosh as their men's team fielding coach in August 2026, replacing T Dilip after the BCCI decided not to renew his contract. Ghosh, who has worked with India A and Andhra, will be expected to address the lapses that have repeatedly undermined India's performances. Karthik acknowledged Ghosh's experience but made it clear that the responsibility comes with considerable pressure.“Being part of Team India is always a challenge, and he's a talented fielding coach. He's been around the block for some time now, having been part of the India A team. He was also the fielding coach of the Andhra team,” he said.The former wicketkeeper also highlighted the need to improve the positioning of India's fast bowlers and their ability to hold on to chances.“I think he should figure out a way to get the pacers to stand in the right positions and make sure they hold on to their catches,” Karthik added.The Ranchi defeat offered another example. Mayank Yadav dropped Rutherford when the West Indies batter was on 38, allowing him to continue an innings that eventually transformed the chase. Rutherford went on to share a 120-run partnership with Hope for the fourth wicket.Karthik also called for better positioning from India's fast bowlers and greater reliability when chances come their way. The new coach's challenge will be to turn those concerns into tangible improvements before India enter their next major assignments.WORLD CUP PREPARATION STARTS NOWIndia's fielding problems have also been acknowledged by captain Shubman Gill. After the third ODI against West Indies in Mullanpur, Gill admitted that dropped catches and sloppy work in the field had hurt India during the series, despite the hosts winning it 2-1. West Indies chased down India's 351/7 in the final match, with Shai Hope scoring an unbeaten 162 to lead a five-wicket victory.India's immediate opportunity to improve will come during the remainder of the West Indies T20I series, followed by their multi-format tour of New Zealand in October and November. The schedule includes five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, giving the team opportunities to work on its fielding across formats. India are also scheduled to play ODI series against Sri Lanka in December and Zimbabwe in January 2027, ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Karthik believes the decline has become too pronounced to ignore, regardless of India's results in other departments.“But, in general, you have to say that Team India's fielding standards have dropped, for sure, in the last couple of months. They will need to pick it up because it's an important aspect if they want to win the big tournaments as well,” he said.The World Cup begins on October 2, 2027, with India scheduled to face Australia on October 7 and Pakistan on October 10 in the group stage.The upcoming ODI assignments will be particularly important, with India needing to build consistency in the format in which they will compete for the biggest prize. Fielding lapses can change matches regardless of the runs scored or wickets taken, and the Ranchi defeat showed how quickly a strong batting effort can be undone.Karthik's warning is therefore about more than one result. India have several months and a demanding schedule in which to rectify their shortcomings, but the improvement must be visible before the World Cup arrives. If dropped catches and poor positioning continue, they could become a decisive weakness when India can least afford it.- Ends