Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik brought out his trademark wit as he took a light-hearted jab at former India coach Ravi Shastri—right in front of him—during a recent episode of the Sky Sports Podcast. Recalling how his Test career came to an abrupt end, Karthik cheekily narrated how Shastri had effectively shown him the door after the Lord’s Test during India’s 2018 tour of England.

Karthik had made a much-anticipated return to Test cricket in June 2018, replacing the injured Wriddhiman Saha in India’s one-off match against Afghanistan. Backed by strong performances in domestic cricket and white-ball internationals, he was selected for the England tour. However, the challenging conditions proved too much, as Karthik could only manage scores of 0 and 20 at Edgbaston, followed by 1 and 0 at Lord’s.

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“There’s not much in common between me and Nas (Nasser Hussain), and I’d like to keep it that way,” joked Dinesh Karthik on the podcast, seated alongside Shastri, Hussain, and Michael Atherton. “Sadly, he finished his career at Lord’s and so did I. The difference? He went to the coach and said, ‘I think I’m done.’ In my case, the coach came and told me, ‘Don’t bother coming for the next Test—I think you’re done.’”

DK really said that in front of his former team India coach Ravi Shastri 😂😭.

Loved this Podcast by Sky Cricket. pic.twitter.com/SoTZlVKHEX

— Kaushik Kashyap (@CricKaushik_) July 7, 2025

After Karthik’s exit, India handed the gloves to a young Rishabh Pant, who had just enjoyed a breakthrough IPL season. Though Pant initially struggled with his wicketkeeping, his batting flair was undeniable. In time, he became a fixture in the side, replacing Saha and redefining the role of an Indian Test wicketkeeper.

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Karthik and Shastri, now commentators, are currently in England covering the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The series stands finely poised at 1-1, with India bouncing back at Edgbaston after a defeat at Headingley. Fittingly, Pant has emerged as one of the key figures yet again, amassing 342 runs in just four innings and proving why he’s now considered among the best keepers in India’s cricketing history.