Having made his international debut in 2004, Dinesh Karthik has played under plenty of dynamic as well as tactically astute captains.
Karthik, who has become a regular in India’s limited-overs squad since October 2017, is currently playing under Virat Kohli’s leadership with the presence of former skipper MS Dhoni in the side. Owing to daunting schedule, Indian selectors often provide rest to Virat and in that case his deputy Rohit Sharma leads the side.
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Karthik recently pointed out the key differences in the captaincy styles of Dhoni, Kohli and Rohit.
“MS is very instinctive as a skipper. He takes a lot of decisions on the field in the spur of the moment. Virat on the other hand, is very aggressive, likes to take on the opposition. He is immensely self-confident and has consistently kept raising the bar, as a batter and a leader. And then there is Rohit. He always does his homework, is very strategic, very hands-on. Keeps going and speaking with his bowlers, has a word with the batters too. He is very thorough in his approach as a captain,” he quoted.
Karthik was a tad unlucky in a way that his earlier days of international career overlapped with the rise of a certain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Nonetheless, the Tamil Nadu batsman shares a very healthy rapport with the veteran wicketkeeper.
“See one of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt from MS is to identify bowlers. There will be bowlers who will be having a good day, so it is important to give them their due. At the same time, you have put pressure on other bowlers who are not having an entirely good outing. The ability of MS to absorb pressure and then come out triumphs is amazing, a trait I’ve tried to inculcate,” he asserted.
“When it comes to keeping, well, isn’t he unbelievable? Some of the stumpings he pulls off are stunning, to say the least. I don’t think it is easily replicable, it is one of the kind. Look at his head position, his balance, all these technical things are so perfect, and there is so much to learn,” Karthik concluded.
