Dinesh Karthik was savior for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as they tried their best to chase down the record score of 287/3 set by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their recent IPL 2024 match in M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Travis Head (102 in 41), Heinrich Klaasen (67 in 31), Aiden Markram (32* in 17), and Abdul Samad (37* in 10) took the RCB bowlers to cleaners on a batting beauty of a wicket in Bengaluru.
In response, Virat Kohli (42) and Faf du Plessis (62) gave a flying start to RCB, but middle-over wickets pegged them back. However, Dinesh Karthik played a knock of a lifetime, scoring 83 in 35 balls with 7 sixes and 5 fours to take RCB to 262/7 and reduced the margin of defeat to just 25 runs.
This knock of his has sparked a debate amongst fans and even cricket experts about whether Karthik should be picked in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu backed the RCB star for a place in the 15-member squad for the World Cup, saying that he could end his career at the tournament.
“I have seen him from a young age. He is very talented. He has always remained under the shadows of MS Dhoni and hence did not get consistent opportunities. Probably, one last time, he could become a match-winner for India, and he would have that golden opportunity to end his career with the World Cup and help India win that trophy. I feel India should take him to the World Cup,” Rayudu said during a discussion on Star Sports.
However, Irfan Pathan, who was part of the panel with Rayudu, laughed at the suggestion. Pathan admitted that Karthik has been looking in top-notch form, but the pressure of playing at the World Cup is different. That’s because there will be no impact player rule in the World Cup, removing the cushion teams have in the IPL.
“See, I must praise Dinesh Karthik. He is looking in top form. But Indian cricket is on a different level. The World Cup is a different level. There you don't get uncapped players bowling to you. There are no impact-player rules in the World Cup. There are only 11 players. So playing there is a different pressure altogether,” he said.
Rayudu then quickly interrupted saying, “This is the ball. This is the white kookaburra ball. Karthik is a seasoned player.”
Pathan smiled and responded: “There is facing Jasprit Bumrah and then there...,” but was cut off by Rayudu reminding him that Karthik “just hit Pat Cummins for a six.”
Pathan then argued about Rayudu's remark on Dhoni arguing whether it would be right to have Rishabh Pant playing under the shadows of Karthik.
He explained that had Pant not been in form in the ongoing IPL 2024, he would have backed Karthik for a spot in the World Cup squad, but given the scenario, he would rather pick the Delhi Capitals captain and Sanju Samson ahead of the RCB batter.
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“There is a lot of difference between facing an uncapped player and a seasoned bowler. You just said he played under the shadows of Dhoni. So now that Dhoni is not there, you want him to play and put Pant in his shadows. Is that right? Had Pant not been in form, I would have agreed. But I feel I would have Samson ahead of Karthik now. We must put aside the current players, who are in the scheme of things, because another player is in form now,” Pathan said.
Pathan then took a funny dig at Rayudu and said: “This person is a CSK player. CSK players always want senior cricketers to be part of the team, and make it a Dad's army. But this is Indian cricket.”
Rayudu concluded the debate by saying: “Imagine India needs 12 runs to win, and Karthik scores both those sixes and the team wins,” as Pathan added: “There is nothing better than India winning.”
(Star Sports inputs)
