Dinesh Karthik Played A Fiery Knock In 1st T20I: If there is one player who is as certain to be picked in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia as skipper Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya – then it is Dinesh Karthik.
The man who had been ignored for the past three years has now sealed his berth on the flight to Australia with sizzling performances in the last few months, and, in fact, is arguably the best T20 finisher going around in the world – at the age of 37!
He gave another solid, justifying his role of a finisher performance in the first T20I against West Indies on Friday in Trinidad.
Dinesh Karthik gives India a great finish
At the fall of India’s fifth wicket, Karthik came in to bat at the end of the 15 over, the perfect time for him to have a look at the conditions and unleash himself on the West Indies bowlers with his array of shots.
This was not as flat a pitch as Karthik made it seem – by striking 41 runs off only 19 balls. He walloped 4 fours and 2 sixes in his blistering knock, finishing with a strike rate of 215!
He was summoned to bat at India’s score of 127/5 which then became 138/6 and India faced a prospect of finishing with a below-par total as no batter really hung around with skipper Rohit Sharma who departed after scoring 64 runs off 44 balls, when Karthik entered.
He straightaway creamed Alzarri Joseph for a cover boundary to get himself going. He ran his twos hard and was 14 off 10 by the end of the 18th over. Then came the mayhem, the sort of with which he took the attention of the selectors during the IPL 2022, where, batting for RCB, he smashed 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.
First, he hammered Jason Holder with a six on the legside and a four on the offside in an expensive 21-run 19th over from the experienced all-rounder. And then, in the 20th over, Karthik tore into Obed McCoy, thundering the left-arm pacer for a six down the ground and two boundaries behind the square to complete India’s innings with the momentum.
Fans on Twitter were amazed at the consistency, accuracy and timing with which Dinesh Karthik has been scoring runs in the death overs, the most difficult phase of the game to score quick runs.
Here are some of the best reactions of fans on DK’s mayhem today:
DINESH KARTHIK..remember-the-name!!! #IndvsWI
— Jatin Khandelwal (@jr_khandelwal) July 29, 2022
I’m not going to watch this T20 WC if they don’t pick Dinesh karthik is the Squad
— Ayush Prajapati (@im_ayush___) July 29, 2022
Dinesh Karthik The Finisher – 41* (19). What a knock, what a finish by DK. He’s proven yet again he’s still good enough for India, what a player.
Take a bow, DK. pic.twitter.com/zozMTBP9tl
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 29, 2022
Dinesh Karthik has 5 knocks of 25 or more at a SR of 200+ from No.5 or lower, the most by any Indian player in T20Is.
41* (19) today v WI
55 (27) v SA, 2022
33* (16) v NZ, 2019
30 (13) v AUS, 2018
29* (8) v Ban, 2018 – Nidahas final#WIvIND— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) July 29, 2022
Karthik’s finishing strategy, like Dhoni’s, is high variance.
His attacking set-up is introduced 7.3 balls on average into an innings, which for a finisher, is a long time.
But then he takes 3 runs off every ball he faces with this set-up. When it comes off, it’s brilliant.
— Harigovind S (@HolyCricket_513) July 29, 2022
Dinesh Karthik – THE FINISHER is here. 41(19) balls with the strike rate of 215 and he came to bat at no. 7 when team was in pressure situation . Take a bow pic.twitter.com/3jkZMdi95k
— DK – the finisher (@primeKohli) July 29, 2022
Love India’s 5-6-7 to bits!! If Hardik Pandya doesn’t get you, Ravindra Jadeja will. If Jadeja doesn’t get you, Dinesh Karthik certainly will! Fab finish to the innings!#WIvIND
— Prasenjit Dey (@CricPrasen) July 29, 2022
Dinesh Karthik is consistently nasty down the order when there’s nothing else to do but hit. Man cracked the code and exploiting it in every chance he gets.
— Heisenberg
(@internetumpire) July 29, 2022
(@internetumpire) In T20Is, these two players have similar gameplay –
Jadeja against spin: 9 avg, 70 SR
Karthik against spin: 28 avg, 121 SRJadeja against pace: 30 avg, 141 SR
Karthik against pace: 32 avg, 148 SR— 12th Khiladi (@12th_khiladi) July 29, 2022
Witnessing Dinesh Karthik making runs seems like our own success. A true motivation for someone who have given upon his dreams:#dineshkarthik
— SurbhiCasm (@surbhi_1312) July 29, 2022
Most 40+ scores in last 5 overs of a T20i innings by Indians
5: Virat Kohli
2: Dinesh Karthik*
2: Yuvraj Singh
2: Shreyas Iyer#WIvIND— ComeOn Cricket
(@ComeOnCricket) Dinesh Karthik, take a bow!
A brilliant finishing cameo of 41(19) from DK helps #TeamIndia set West Indies a target of 191.#WIvIND
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) July 29, 2022
Some of Dinesh Karthik’s brilliant knocks since his comeback for India:
41*(19) – TODAY
55(27)
30*(21)
8*(3)Team India has a fixed role for him, and he delivers more often than not!
— 12th Khiladi (@12th_khiladi) July 29, 2022
Dinesh Karthik: One of the finest finisher of the shorter format!
The finishing touch that he gives in T20Is shows how much hardwork he has done to get back in squad!
Karthik: 41* (19) 4×4 , 2×6, SR:216
Mad Stuff!#WIvIND #WIvsIND pic.twitter.com/jl4c4RfHS6
— Nilesh G (@oye_nilesh) July 29, 2022
Most runs by Indians at No.7 or lower in an year:
94* – Dinesh Karthik in 2022
76 – MS Dhoni in 2012
75 – Yusuf Pathan in 2009
73 – Irfan Pathan in 2009#WIvIND— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) July 29, 2022
https://twitter.com/hit_ahir_1718/status/1553054917916471298
https://twitter.com/hit_ahir_1718/status/1553054917916471298
