Dinesh Karthik performed admirably as the finisher in the Twenty20 series opener against the West Indies last week. He was important in India’s victory over the Caribbean team, scoring a breezy 41 not out off only 19 deliveries. The seasoned batter now sees a definite duty, having revelled in his new hitting responsibility, where he has little time to get his eyes in. Karthik, 37, shows no signs of slowing down, with his ultimate objective being this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
Since returning to the Indian team, the experienced wicketkeeper-batter has gone from strength to strength. Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, on the other hand, says Karthik isn’t playing the position of a finisher. The 20-over format may have altered the game’s dynamics, but a finisher, according to Srikkanth, is someone who takes the game deep and wins it, as opposed to Karthik’s devastation in the final four overs.
“Your understanding of a finisher is incorrect. Dinesh has been performing really well. He was outstanding in the IPL and a couple matches here. That, however, is not a finisher! A finisher is someone who can take the match from the eighth or ninth over and finish it. Dinesh is putting the finishing touches on everything. Consider Suryakumar Yadav. In England, we witnessed him practically single-handedly win the match. That is the final role. Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant are finishers… and our skipper (Rohit) can open and bat in 12th gear until the 17th over “During the third Twenty20 between India and the West Indies, Srikkanth commented on FanCode.
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“A true finisher does not play between 16 and 20 overs. A finisher is a player who takes the match from the eighth or ninth over and finally ends with 60 or more runs. Dinesh’s role has been established. He’s doing great, but instead of becoming a finisher, he’s perfecting the finishing role “He continued.
Karthik, who made his debut for India in 2004, hopes to win the 2018 T20 World Cup during his second stint with the national team. He also played for the team that won the first World T20 in 2007 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
“These are minor checkboxes that we require at this time. The ultimate aim, though, is to do well in the T20 World Cup “On BCCI TV, Karthik informed colleague Ravichandran Ashwin.
The veteran also lauded the current setup, which is led by Rohit Sharma. “I believe this is a totally different squad, and I am liking this configuration. There is a fantastic sense of serenity around the captain and coach, and much credit must be given to them “Karthik elaborated.
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