Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik backed his Tamil Nadu teammate Shahrukh Khan to break into Team India, saying that the right-hander is within touching distance for the national call-up.
Tamil Nadu has been a powerhouse in the Indian domestic circuit. The team of late has produced some prominent talents in Washington Sundar, Vijay Shankar, Shahrukh Khan, Varun Chakravarthy, and many more.
They recently clinched their third Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy title and were runner-ups in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021. One of the main architects behind their success was power hitter Shahrukh Khan.
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The right-hander stole the limelight in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2021 final against Karnataka, when he smashed a six off the final ball to help his team become the team with the most title wins in the history of the tournament.
He also played some crucial knocks in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 and was also impressive in the limited chances he got for Punjab Kings in IPL 2021.
Speaking to ANI, Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik said that it’s one of the greatest pleasures for him to see players from Tamil Nadu represent the country. He revealed that cricketers from the state have only two ambitions that are to play in IPL and then India.
He added that on account of good performances, Tamil Nadu as a domestic side has done well and he was so happy to see 14 players from the state play in IPL 2021.
"I think obviously one of the greatest pleasures for me is to see all these boys go on to represent the country. They all have two ambitions -- either they want to be a part of the IPL franchise and the next step would be to play for the country.
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“That comes with good performances, Tamil Nadu as a domestic side has done so well. Last year, 14 of the players were part of IPL teams and I was so happy to see those things happening," Dinesh Karthik said.
Dinesh Karthik further lauded Shahrukh Khan, saying that the right-hander is knocking on the doors of selectors and is within touching distance. He remarked that the all-rounder will do well when he gets the opportunity to play for Team India.
"Shahrukh Khan is knocking on the doors, he is very close and he is within touching distance. I have no doubt that when he gets the opportunity, he will do very well for Team India," he said.
Shahrukh Khan, reportedly along with R Sai Kishore, has been added as the stand-by for India’s upcoming white-ball series against West Indies, starting 6th February.
(ANI Inputs)
