The Indian cricket team continues to grow stronger, showcasing its dominance across formats. In the past year, Team India has won two major titles – the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy. However, its Test performance saw a dip towards the end of 2024, with losses against New Zealand and Australia preventing India from reaching the World Test Championship final for the third consecutive time. Despite this, India's strong performances in the first nine months of the year highlighted the depth and talent of its bench strength.

Dinesh Karthik Hails IPL’s Role in Strengthening Indian Cricket

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik believes that India's cricketing strength has reached a point where the country can field two to three national teams of equal quality simultaneously.

Speaking with Royal Challengers Bangalore’s cricket director Mo Bobat and former England cricketer Isha Guha, Karthik credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) for transforming Indian cricket, not just in terms of player mindset but also in infrastructure development.

He stated, “The IPL has instilled a winning mentality in all our players. The financial success of the league has also improved the infrastructure, and when the infrastructure is strong, the level of the game naturally rises.”

India’s Talent Pool – A ‘Storehouse’ of Cricketers

Karthik further emphasized how IPL has created a huge talent reservoir, allowing India to build multiple competitive teams. “After the advent of IPL, India has an abundance of skilled cricketers. The country can easily field two to three teams in international cricket simultaneously,” he said.

Having been a part of the IPL since its inception in 2008, Karthik announced his retirement from the league after his final season with RCB in 2024. Reflecting on his early years in the IPL, he recalled, “I played alongside Glenn McGrath in my first IPL season. Training with him gave me the confidence and mindset to compete against the best in the world.”

IPL 2025 – A Season of Big Investments and High Expectations

The IPL 2025 season is set to kick off on March 22, with teams spending over ₹600 crores in the mega auction to strengthen their squads. The tournament will feature 74 matches and a total of 230 players.

The opening match will see defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Eden Gardens. Notably, both teams have new captains this season, with Ajinkya Rahane leading KKR and Rajat Patidar captaining RCB.

With the IPL continuing to nurture and produce world-class talent, India's dominance in cricket is expected to grow even further, reinforcing Karthik’s belief that the country has enough quality players to field multiple teams at once.