Dinesh Karthik has faced a lot of ups and downs in his international cricket career. At the age of 33-year-old, Karthik has once again found a new way to carry his international cricket dream. While he is now growing up as an important middle-order batsman for India’s limited-overs cricket format, Karthik has no mindset to finish his first-class career at the present moment.
To continue his limited-overs dream, the 33-year-old Ambati Rayudu has recently announced his retirement from the first-class cricket. But Karthik has no similar wish at this moment. While the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman is enjoying the present moment, he claimed that he would take that tough decision once he became a burden of Tamil Nadu.
A day ahead of their Ranji Trophy game against Kerala (December 6), when Karthik was asked whether he had any thought to end his first-class career, the Tamil Nadu cricketer replied, “No, I haven’t thought about it because I really enjoy playing for Tamil Nadu. I think one of the joys of the sport is playing for the state. The minute I think that people see me as a burden playing for Tamil Nadu, I will take a step back.”
Also read: Rayudu retires from first-class cricket to focus on the limited-overs cricket
Talking about how long he wants to play, Karthik has revealed his wish to win the Ranji Trophy. He further added that he would keep trying to play as much as possible to achieve that special feat.
Karthik said, “I will play for Tamil Nadu as long as possible only because the dream of winning that one title for me – the Ranji Trophy. Still not been able to achieve it, so I will keep trying as many years as I can play for Tamil Nadu.”
In July 2017, Karthik returned to the national team after more than three years later. However, he has solidated his position into the limited-overs formats for the national side since the 2018 Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka in this March.
Talking about this year, Karthik said, “It has been a phenomenal year. Very happy to be in the place that I am. There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Actually, it is interesting times.”
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While the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales is just more than five months away from now, Karthik is not thinking that much at present. He is focusing on the upcoming ODI series in Australia and the following New Zealand tours.
Karthik said on this, “I am not thinking so far ahead. Because as soon as I start thinking about the World Cup and all that there will be more pressure than what is already there. There is obviously the Australia series, New Zealand series … there is a lot of cricket coming up, I need to focus on that … the best I can do and take it from there.”
Since the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, Karthik is now playing the finisher role for the national team.
Speaking on that, Karthik said, “Look, I think that’s one aspect that I have been trying to work on, trying to finish games. I try to practice in such a way that I put myself in situations where I can practice that and things have been coming out pretty well in those kind of tense situations. It is a very important aspect of batting … trying to finish games off and that’s what I am focusing on.”
