CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s Dinesh Karthik is in a happy space of mind at the moment. He is delighted to be once again part of the Indian team and insists that his aim is to bag a berth in the 2019 World Cup team.
Last season he single-handedly helped Tamil Nadu to two limited overs triumphs and a fruitful IPL saw him be a part of the Champions Trophy squad as well as be part of the West Indies tour which India won 3-1.
He is gearing up for the Tamil Nadu Premier League, but will not play the first few games because he has been advised rest by Indian team physio as he has been suffering from a shin niggle.
“Happiness is a small word, it is a big relief to be back in the Indian side. It felt good to perform for the country. Coming back into the team after a long time, I was welcomed well. It’s a nice set-up with young guys. We can proudly call us as one of the top cricketing nations today. We seem to be consistent in most ICC tournaments. Indian cricket is going through a golden period, where most results are positive,” said Karthik.
He was asked how much he enjoyed his role as batsman in the West Indies and whether he will cut down on his wicketkeeping and concentrate more on batting. “From day one, it was obvious that MS Dhoni would be the wicket-keeper and I was going to play as a batsman. I enjoy fielding and I worked extensively with R Sridhar, our fielding coach. Fielding comes to me naturally,” he explained.
“I will not give up wicketkeeping. I like to think of myself as an all-rounder.
I’m a guy who is a genuine batsman and a genuine wicket-keeper. I’m not a part-timer like you see in the IPL, where a team for combination’s sake makes a player play as a part-time wicket-keeper. I have played in all spots from opening to down to number 7 in various formats for country, state and IPL.
“I have opened in England in seaming conditions. I have been keeping for the last 20 years. Every day I begin training after a couple of wicket-keeping drills. I grew up as a wicket-keeper batsman,” the Tuti Patriots captain said.
He cherishes spending time in the middle with India skipper Virat Kohli during the West Indies tour. “It was a good partnership and Kohli kept giving me confidence. He is a great player to play with. He is good at running between the wickets. He constantly kept giving me ideas,” he explained, insisting that India’s golden run last year was due to Kohli’s leadership skills.
ashok.v@newindianexpress.com