A career that has spanned over 18 years will have many unforgettable performances. The finisher Dinesh Karthik has surely entertained the Indian audience on many occasions. Be it Nidahas Trophy in 2018 or the Blitz across different formats. Dinesh Karthik made a comeback in the international circuit after his consistent performance in the 2021 IPL. For what was seen as the end of his career in 2019 Dinesh’s comeback proved that age is just a number for the right-handed batsman.
Dinesh Karthik Early life
Dinesh Karthik hails from Tamil Nadu and has represented the south side since 2002. He made his debut against Baroda. His debut season didn’t go as planned and he was dropped for the coming season. He was also overlooked for the Duleep Trophy. His performance for the U-19 side begged him for a position in the national under-19 team where he played in 3 youth One Day Internationals against neighbours Nepal. After constant training, DK was called for the 2003-04 Ranji season and good performance resulted in a 2004 U-19 World Cup call-up.
Dinesh Karthik Domestic Cricket Career
Dinesh Karthik has time and again performed in domestic cricket but his international career was never stable. He saw himself in and out of the Indian squad but his performances in the domestic circuit remained constant. Karthik’s best season came in 2008 when he scored 3 fifty-plus scores which included 2 hundred. He continued the strong run against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy as well and the season was something to remember by. His performance in the domestic circuit earned him international call-ups but was often sidelined considering MS Dhoni was India’s first-choice wicket-keeper.
Dinesh Karthik International Debut Career
Dinesh Karthik came to the international scene in October 2004 against Australia in Mohali. Karthik replaced Parthiv Patel in the 4th test against the Aussies. Karthik was part of India’s squad that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. DK was also part of India’s 50-over World Cup squad but didn’t play any game in the whole tournament. Dinesh Karthik’s name lingered around the Indian squad in every major tournament. He was a regular opener in mid-2007 in test cricket for a brief span but with MS performing both with the bat and behind the stumps, Dinesh Karthik was sidelined again. Dinesh Karthik's 15-year-old career includes 94 ODIs, and 32 T20s as well but Dhoni being the no.1 choice Dinesh had to wait for his opportunities.
Dinesh Karthik IPL Career
DK has represented 6 franchises in his career. Karthik started his IPL journey with Delhi Daredevils and then went on to represent Punjab, Mumbai, Bangalore and Gujarat lions for brief stints before he found his major tempo at Kolkata Knight Riders. Karthik captained the side for a while but was sold in the 2021 season and then he went for his second stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022. It was the IPL 2022 which saw the Nidhas DK and some record-breaking performances that saw his comeback in the Indian squad.
Dinesh Karthik International Profile
Dinesh Karthik represented India in the 2007 World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. A lot of people assumed that DK would be regular after Dhoni’s retirement but due to a lack of performances and the arrival of Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan and other wicketkeepers DK had to put something exceptional for an international comeback. Karthik was part of the commentary panel for India’s tour of England in 2021. Many assumed that he has moved on and his comeback is for fetch. But DK’s finishing prowess in IPL and international cricket saw his comeback for Asia Cup and T20 World Cup in Australia. In the recent match against Australia DK came in and score 10 of 2 to take India home. The Indian team will be banking on DK’s performance for the T20 World Cup as well. Will we see Nidhas 2.0 again? Only time will tell but for now, DK seems to enjoy his comeback more than ever.
