“In the middle order, India definitely needs a finisher there”: says Dinesh Karthik, hoping for an India comeback

In an interview with Cricket Next, Tamil Nadu-born, former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper stated that he eyeing the middle order and finisher role in India’s T20I set-up in the wake of two T20 World Cups back to back. Karthik also expressed his views on MS Dhoni’s career overlapping with his.

Karthik feels that it’s the fitness and specific skills that matter and age are not what is the ask of the hour.
“What they want to see is not the age but how to fit you are. If you can get through the fitness tests, it means you are ready to play for the country. I aim to play for the country in the T20 World Cups. There are back-to-back T20 World Cups, this year and the next year, and I am doing everything I can to be a part of that.”

Dinesh Karthik has many crucial IPL knocks to his credit. Talking about finishing abilities, he has the Nidahas Trophy final to showcase as a prime example. India needed 34 off 12 balls. Dinesh Karthik scored 22 runs off Rubel Hossain – 19th over of Nidahas Trophy Final and took India over the line with a last-ball six.

“I know I have done well in the past and even when I got dropped from the team after the World Cup, I thought I had done phenomenally well for India in T20s up till then, but because the World Cup did not go well, I got chucked out of the T20 as well,” Karthik pointed out.

“But given an opportunity, especially in the middle order, I know India needs a finisher there. I know we have Hardik (Pandya) and (Ravindra) Jadeja there. That’s something that I have kept my focus on, to be a pure middle-order batsman.” said Karthik who was last seen in July 2019 in Indian colors.

Dinesh Karthik in his IPL career has played 203 matches scoring 3946 runs with a highest of 97 runs.

“I feel that is a specialized slot, the ability to win games and set up good totals to help the team win. That’s something that I have focussed on and I have done well over some time and am backing myself to do it over and over again. And, I know that if I do that, there will be a place in the Indian team,” Karthik observed.

Karthik also talked freely on whether MS Dhoni’s rise coincided with his international career. Here is what he had to say –

“Everybody plays the sport trying to do their best and do whatever they can. I was no different. Sometimes it happened, sometimes it didn’t. As I said, when I look back at my journey, I am very proud of whatever I have done over some time,” he concluded.

Dinesh Karthik was one of the many wicket-keepers India tried along with Parthiv Patel, until they found MS Dhoni.