Some cricketers get numerous opportunities to prove their worth. Team managements tend to wait that extra few games to give the player an opportunity to make his mark, generally because of his unique talent.
Rohit Sharma made his international debut for India in 2007 but scored his first century three years later. In 2012, Rohit was dismissed for single digit scores 11 times in ODIs and T20s from 22 outings.
But the management persisted with him and from 2013, he became a limited-overs behemoth. He now has three ODI double tons under his belt, ensuring the faith shown in him by successive team managements didn’t go to waste.
Dinesh Karthik is not Rohit. The wicketkeeper batsman is one of those talented yet unfortunate players whose prime coincided with that of an all-time great. He made his international debut the same year as MS Dhoni and despite playing a critical role with the bat in the 2007 Test series win in England, saw the spotlight taken by Dhoni for the next decade.
Now, with Dhoni out of the Test arena and playing as a specialist wicketkeeper batsman, glovemen in India are back in demand. Unfortunately for the 33-year-old Karthik, keepers like Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan have already been lined as the men to take hold behind the stumps for years to come. However, Karthik is in the grand scheme of things until the next season at least and with the World Cup in England next year, should consider himself a prospect.
But for that to happen, the team management must realise his value. This is the same Karthik who got three fifties opening the innings in Tests to secure a historic Test series win in England. This is the same Karthik who scored 29 from eight balls while chasing in the Nidahas Trophy T20 final against Bangladesh when the match was dead and buried. Karthik was even appointed Kolkata Knight Riders captain for this year’s IPL campaign, with the franchise finishing third.
And yet, Karthik has played only one out of India’s four T20 matches so far in Ireland and England. He even didn’t get the chance to to bat. One would have thought that after his breathtaking batting under intense pressure in the Nidahas final with 34 needed from 12 balls, Karthik would be one of the first players to be picked at least in the T20 team.
With 14 years of experience in international cricket, Karthik’s undiminished hitting power and ability to bat anywhere in the order – with or without the keeping gloves – should have made him a permanent fixture in India’s limited overs set-up. This is the time when Karthik can deliver, yet Virat Kohli has shown more faith in players like Manish Pandey and even Suresh Raina over the past season or so.
It is high time the Indian management realises that an experienced and still highly effective Karthik solves many problems for India. He can bat anywhere in the order, is a livewire in the field and a Test-level wicketkeeper. Plus his technique is ideal for English conditions. Your Pandeys and Kedar Jadhavs have been given enough opportunities. Even Raina doesn’t offer the versatility that Karthik offers. Now if only Kohli reads this piece…
