Former Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev has heaped rich praises on veteran batter Dinesh Karthik, believing that the player's recent form has pushed the selectors to take him seriously.
With the T20 World Cup 2022 approaching rapidly, several positions are up for grabs in the Indian team squad for the event. With such a huge pool of players to pick from, the BCCI selection committee should give everyone an opportunity in the 30-plus T20I matches India will be playing between now and the World Cup.
1983 World Cup-winning former Indian captain Kapil feels that 37-year-old Dinesh Karthik has made a compelling case for himself in terms of selection.
Karthik produced an important knock of 30* (21 balls) in the second T20I against South Africa after being rewarded with an India call-back based on his stellar performance in the IPL 2022 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored 330 runs at an average of 55.
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Karthik is difficult to be looked past considering his present form, which is why Kapil believes there isn't enough credit for the senior batsman.
Speaking to Uncut, Kapil said: "This time he has performed so well that he has forced the selectors to think that 'look, you can't ignore me'. Rishabh Pant is a youngster, he has plenty of cricket. Dinesh Karthik has experience and performance, which is why I would say, that no praise is enough for him."
The legendary all-rounder praised Karthik for displaying the same determination he displayed when he made his international debut in 2004 and announced his arrival with the stumping of former England captain Michael Vaughan.
With India in desperate need of a finisher, Karthik is capable of filling that role.
"He has been playing cricket even before MS Dhoni. It’s been 2 years since Dhoni retired but even now, Karthik has kept his motivation level high, and to love the game with the same passion and heart after so many years is not easy. If you talk about consistency, then Dinesh Karthik is ahead of them all. Irrespective of how many balls he faces – 20, 10, or 15, he always delivers, as we saw in the IPL," added Kapil.
(HT inputs)
