If We Talk About Consistency, Currently Dinesh Karthik Is Ahead Of All - Kapil Dev
By Tamia Kumar
Published - 15 Jun 2022, 05:48 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:08 AM
India’s World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev said Dinesh Karthik at the moment is ahead of contenders in the Indian team based on his consistency in T20 cricket. The 37-year-old earned his team India call back on the back of a phenomenal IPL 2022 with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Karthik scored 330 runs in 16 innings, averaging 55 and striking at 183.33 with 66 not out against Delhi Capitals was his best performance in the tournament. In that game, Karthik slammed left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman for 28 runs in an over.
Dinesh Karthik in India vs South Africa T20I series
Coming to the India-South Africa T20I series, in three games so far, Karthik amassed 37 runs and remained not out on two occasions. He pummelled two fours and as many sixes in 21-ball 30 in the second T20I to take his side to a sizeable 148 in the first innings.
Karthik will be competing with Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan for India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. Pant, who is leading the Indian team in the South Africa series as a stand-in skipper, has scored 40 runs in three innings at a dismal average of 13.33 in the three games so far.
The more said about Dinesh Karthik the less: Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev heaped praise on Karthik’s return to form and said the Tamil Nadu player’s experience will be key for the Indian team.
“If we talk about consistency, currently Dinesh Karthik is ahead of all. Ishan Kishan has, I think, come under pressure. Maybe it’s the pressure of the high price that he garnered at the IPL auction. I have never got so much money so I will not be able to say,” Kapil said on “Uncut”.
“I don’t think Dinesh Karthik has surpassed Rishabh Pant in T20s. But this time, he has done so well that he forced selectors to not ignore him. Pant is a youngster who has lot of cricket left, then there is Karthik who has loads of experience. The more said about Karthik the less. He started before [MS] Dhoni and is still continuing,” he added.
India will play the fourth T20I against South Africa on June 17 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
