In 50 matches since 2025, India have dropped a whopping 79 catches, missed 95 run outs and there have been 168 misfields.
It is because of these fielding woes that Indians are barely ahead of West Indies 2-1 in the ongoing five-match T20I series after they failed to defend 249-run target in Ranchi.
Former India fielding coach R. Sridhar didn’t mince his words when asked to comment on the current standards of the T20 World Cup 2026 champions in an interaction with India.com website on Monday.
“Fielding has definitely take a back seat and seems to be completely absent in Indian performance. The new kids who are coming into the side are definitely coming in undercooked, especially in their field ability. They are definitely no comparison with the likes of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav,” R. Sridhar told India.com during an exclusive interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network.
“The entire cricketing eco-system definitely needs to wake up. Our fielding form is definitely not good. We were nowhere near being a good fielding side in the T20 World Cup 2026 and if Axar Patel hadn’t taken a few great catches, we would not have won the tournament,” former India fielding coach added.
Virat Kohli set the fielding benchmark when he took over as captain: R. Sridhar
Indian legend Virat Kohli took charge of the side full-time with a Test series against Sri Lanka in 2015. Sridhar recalled the parameters laid down by Kohli to raise the fielding standards of the entire side.
“In 2015, when we assembled for Virat Kohli’s first series as captain, he addressed everyone in their first huddle and told them that ‘fielding is not an option’. In fact, everyone’s presence in fielding practice was marked by attendance. He used to come to me and check who all attended these practice sessions. Efforts were put in by both Kohli and (Ravi) Shastri to improve the fitness and the fielding levels. That’s why we rose from No. 7 to 1 in the Test rankings under him,” Sridhar recalled.
Concerned about Indian batters preparation for New Zealand: R. Sridhar
Shreyas Iyer’s Team India will only have a handful of days to adapt themselves for the T20I series against the Black Caps. The fifth T20I match against West Indies will end in Chennai on October 17 while the first T20I against Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand is set to take place in Christchurch on October 22.
Another concern for the T20 World Cup 2026 winners will be preparation for the series. Going from batter-friendly pitches where even 250 is hard to defend to bowler-friendly track in New Zealand will not be easy.
“I am concerned about the Indian batters. We saw what happened in series in Ireland and England where the pitches had something for the bowlers. The good thing about New Zealand is that contest between bat and ball is quite close. The Indian batters will have to adapt quicker than bowlers there. But if they can perform in New Zealand, it will be the best thing for the batters ahead of ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa next year,” Sridhar felt.
Where can I watch India vs New Zealand T20I series in India?
The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand will be LIVE and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV starting October 22, 2026.