Dinesh Karthik made his one-day international debut for India against England at Lord’s in September 2004, and his Test debut against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai two months later. He and Parthiv Patel were regarded as the country’s top two stumpers before Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrived in great style, ruled the roost for one and a half decades, and has even retired from all forms of the game. Patel left the scene too, but Karthik has gamely carried on and has surprised the discerning and the layman showing zest and continuing to perform the difficult trade of wearing the big gloves and taking upon the role of a finisher in the shortest form of the game.
On a number of times in the last twelve months or so, Karthik has gone on record saying that he wants to help India win a World Cup, with a special emphasis on the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in October- November. As events unfolded in recent times, Karthik made his own luck, turning out for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL season played in Maharashtra, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Now into his 38th year, the doughty batter has staged a comeback into the men in blues team.
Former India stumper and Chairman of the national selection committee, Kiran More believes Karthik should find a place in the playing XI of the Asia Cup matches. ” Dinesh Karthik, I will definitely get him into the playing XI. Anyhow. With his age, the selectors have got him back into the team. It’s going to be tough to make a call on him. Look at his fitness, and he has performed. Dinesh has done well and he deserves to be in the playing XI. He has finished matches for India. His selection is not only a headache, but a good ache,’’ said More.
With Rishabh Pant in the India ranks, it’s unlikely that Karthik will get to do serious work behind the wicket, but the decision-makers in Indian cricket believe that there is still a lot of steam left in Karthik to pummel the bowlers in the back end of the innings and add to the danger posed by the likes of Pant, Hardik Pandya.
