‘It is nice to see Karthik doing well’ - Rahul Dravid

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has hailed veteran India cricketer Dinesh Karthik, referring to him as an enforcer of the team after his innings at Rajkot helped the team level the five-match T20I series 2-2 against South Africa.

Dinesh Karthik has made a stunning comeback to the India team for the T20Is against South Africa after having a stellar Indian Premier League 2022 season. It was his 27-ball 55 in the fourth match that helped the host post a decent total after the top-order failed to provide much-needed support. With this, Karthik also became the oldest Indian batter to hit a fifty in the shortest format.

"He was picked for a specific skill - something he was doing exceptionally well in the last 2-3 years. It is nice that his selection has been vindicated," Rahul Dravid said in the post-match press conference. "It came together brilliantly at Rajkot, where we needed that big performance in the last 5 overs to make a par score. Karthik and Hardik (Pandya) batted beautifully for us. Both Karthik and Pandya are our enforcers at the death. They can capitalise in the last 5-6 overs as well as anyone in the world.”

He continued: "It is nice to see Karthik doing well. It opens options for us going forward. I was telling the guys that they have to bang the doors open, not just knock. An innings like that (at Rajkot) certainly means that Karthik is banging hard."

Dinesh Karthik, who had last played in the shortest format in February 2019, was added to the India squad for the five T20Is after having scored 330 runs in 16 innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

As far as the series is between India and South Africa is concerned, it has ended in a 2-2 draw as the fifth and deciding T20I was washed out in Bengaluru. While the visitors started with two back-to-back wins, the hosts bounced back and levelled it up with two consecutive wins. 

Meanwhile, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has expressed his admiration for the veteran, saying that his return to the team is an inspiration for many in and outside the team as well.

“I need to tell you this, genuinely you have given a lot of inspiration to many guys in their life. I remember the conversation you were having when you were not in the scheme of things. A lot of people counted you out,” Pandya said to Karthik during the chat, the video of which has been uploaded by the board on their website. 

“You told me then that my goal is to play for India again and the goal is to play this World Cup, I am going to give it my everything, and seeing you achieve that is very inspirational. A lot of people are going to learn new things. Well done my brother, very proud of you," he added.