Despite his incredible performance in the Duleep Trophy, Dinesh Karthik’s selection for the ODI squad against New Zealand seemed pretty odd. But battling all odds, the right-hand batsman found a place in the playing XI and justified his selection with runs on the board.
The Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper went on to play a good 37-run knock and then a match-winning 64* in the second ODI. Now, with the limited-overs series coming up against Sri Lanka, the right-hander is hoping he would again get a chance to justify his selection once again.
Speaking in an interview to Cricbuzz about his performance, Karthik said, “I can say only for myself because I’ve batted for Tamil Nadu and in the IPL at No. 4. I can confidently say that I’m very confident to bat in that position… I understand what needs to be done and how to go about it and in the experience comes in really handy then.”
He further added, “If you were to ask me the greatest moment of my career, it has to be World T20 in 2007. On a personal note, I didn’t have a great tournament but just that fact that we won the tournament and that gave me a lot of memories. It just feels good that I was part of that. Even the Test series in England in 2007. Yes, I did well personally but more than that, me contributing to the team’s success gives me a lot of satisfaction.”
Talking about the personal milestones, the right-hand batsman said, “When I look back, it’s winning these big tournaments that give me a lot of pleasure. The Champions Trophy in 2013, again. These are the big moments. In between I’ve scored runs, I’ve scored centuries and I’ve failed as well but those are not things that you remember so much.”
Karthik concluded by sharing the advice that was given to him by cricketing legend VVS Laxman, he said, “One thing [VVS] Laxman told me was it doesn’t matter if I score 30 or 40 runs. What’s more important is to score runs in such a way that I help my team win. I’m not someone who sets goals. As cliched as it may sound, it’s more about taking it one day at a time. That’s what helps me focus and that’s what I do.”
