'Dhoni Replaced Me In All Formats And He Did Very Well', Recalls Dinesh Karthik
DK talks about Dhoni's success [Twitter]
Dinesh Karthik made his international debut before MS Dhoni did. While Karthik’s keeping and batting was praised by several, he was replaced by Dhoni after the three-time ICC trophy winning skipper lit the stage.
In a recent podcast with RCB, Karthik recalled playing together with Dhoni for India A, and how he was selected for the Indian Team even before Dhoni.
"I made my debut before him. We went together on an India A tour and from there I got picked for the Indian team, he was still there in India A team,” DK said.
"That was the first time I played a four-day match together with him. I did so well that they picked me for the Indian team. From there, they went on another trip, there was an ODI tournament where he just blasted it. People stood up and said there is nobody like him. They said he's a special player,” DK added.
He went on to recall the massive impact Dhoni made in a short period of time, and how he was replaced by the Ranchi cricketer in all formats of the game.
“Obviously, I came to the Indian team, but by then the Dhoni mania was so big that you had to pick him. He then replaced me in all formats and he did very well. At the end of the day, it is all about taking opportunities. You got to be ready to take opportunities."
MS Dhoni went on to become one of the greatest players as well as captains of all time. He ended his international career with 17,266 runs including 16 centuries, and 195 stumpings. Karthik, meanwhile, got only sporadic chances in the Indian team. After Dhoni retired, Rishabh Pant became the preferred wicketkeeper in the team.
Karthik was part of India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad but wasn’t able to make the most of the opportunities presented to him. Another call-up to the team for him looks unlikely in the near future.
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