Watch: ‘You fossils …’- Dinesh Karthik roasts former England captains before IND vs ENG Semi-final in T20 World Cup 2026

The former Indian wicket-keeper batter, Dinesh Karthik, has roasted the two former England captains, Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain, for a statement they made last year after India won the Champions Trophy 2025, by only playing in Dubai. Kartik hit back at the two veterans, noting that Pakistan had the same advantage but failed to capitalize. 

Pakistan, under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha, has failed to grab the advantage and exited at the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 after they earned a very small-margin victory against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. Both the England stars smiled at Karthik’s roast.

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“I expected Pakistan to make the semis; they have played in Colombo, stayed in the same hotel, and know the pitches inside out. You two fossils argued that it was a big reason behind India’s success in the Champions Trophy. By that logic, Pakistan should have delivered something in this World Cup, too.” Dinesh Karthik expressed on the Sky Cricket Podcast.

Dinesh Karthik hits back at Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain

Karthik also highlighted the fandom of Sanju Samson, whose match-winning knock carried them to the semifinal to face the England side in the T20 WC 2026 in Mumbai. He compared the fandom of the Kerala-born with the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.

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“Clearly, it works for one team but not for another, so there is a genuine lack of skill there. I'll back Pakistan to say they will fight a lot more, but then almost losing to Sri Lanka was mad, and on top of that, you hear about that.” Karthik addressed.

“Sanju Samson is a fantastic story, I feel. Yes, he played that wonderful innings. He is someone who has always been an enigma. People have loved him. He is, for me, the most loved cricketer. Virat, Rohit, Dhoni, and he seem to have that kind of fan following. There is something about how he carries himself. What I’ve liked in that story is that he has seen plenty of ups and downs.” The former Indian wicket-keeper concluded.