Dinesh Karthik: Regarded as one of the finest wicket-keeper batsmen to have risen from Southern states, Dinesh Karthik has had his share of ups and downs in the past fifteen years of international cricket.
The 34-year-old has been overlooked from the Indian lineup since India’s shocking departure from the 2019 World Cup semi-final where he scored a mere 6 runs off 25 deliveries.
Karthik had single-handedly won India the 2018 Nidahas Trophy with his swashbuckling 29 off 8 deliveries against Bangladesh in the final and it had upped his stocks in Indian cricket significantly.
It seemed he would be one of India main men in the middle order in the next few years, but a dismal World Cup saw him fall out of favour again.
Following the World Cup exit, the wicket-keeper batsman has stacked a mountain of runs in the lately concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy where he has amassed 418 runs in 12 innings at an average and a strike rate of 59.71 and 121.15 respectively.
Talking about Karthik’s performance in the T20Is, he averages 57.00 and has a strike rate of 160.56 in the matches played since early 2018.
Karthik thinks he can still don the role of a finisher in the World T20 which is scheduled to take place in the month of October next year.
“We have a T20 World Cup coming up and I am definitely keen on contributing for the team in the finisher’s role. I feel confident playing that role and can also contribute when it comes to setting a good total batting in the middle-order,” said Karthik to the Times of India.
Karthik’s primary focus at the moment is to lead a potent Tamil Nadu lineup comprising of Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“As a senior member of the stateside, it is my responsibility to be able to contribute each time I step on the field. We have some good T20 players in our TN line-up. But we haven’t performed to our potential in this format,” said Karthik.
Tamil Nadu will be battling it out against Kerala in their opening match of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
