3 reasons why Dinesh Karthik deserves to be first-choice keeper-batsman for India in T20Is
Dinesh Karthik's comeback to the Indian T20I team has been an incredible one. Karthik, Man of the Match in India's first-ever T20I in 2006, is proving to be the team's mainstay in the middle order 16 years later.
Balls
Fours
5⃣5⃣ Runs
2⃣7⃣ Balls
9⃣ Fours
2⃣ Sixes
@DineshKarthik set the stage on fire & played a stunning knock. 🔥 🔥 #TeamIndia | #INDvSA | @Paytm
Watch his innings 🎥 🔽
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The shortest format has been the forte for Kartik. However, he has failed to get a consistent run in T20Is over the last 16 years. He has played only 36 T20Is in 16 years and in 30 innings, he averages a healthy 35.07 along with an incredible strike rate of 146.13. He has been impressive in the limited opportunities he has got of representing India in T20Is.
On that note, here is a look at why Karthik deserves to be the keeper-batsman for India in T20Is.
#1 Dinesh Karthik's current form
Karthik has been in phenomenal form in T20 cricket over the last 2-3 months. The 37-year-old keeper-batsman was one of the stars of IPL 2022.
In 16 innings in this year's IPL, Karthik scored 330 runs at an astonishing average of 55 and an astounding strike rate of 183.33. He was flawless with his keeping skills also, took 10 catches, and affected two stumpings too.
The Indian selectors roped Karthik into the Indian squad for the ongoing T20I series against South Africa and he has not disappointed. Karthik, who made a comeback to the Indian T20I team after three years, has scored at an average of 46 and a strike rate of 158.62 in the series so far.
He scored a brilliant attacking half-century in the fourth T20I against South Africa (55 runs from 27 balls) and was named Man of the Match for his heroics.
On current form, Karthik deserves to be the first-choice keeper-batsman for India in T20Is.
#2 Indifferent form of Rishabh Pant in T20Is
Rishabh Pant has been an asset for India in Test matches. He has been one of the mainstays of the Indian middle-order in Tests and averages 40.85 with the bat from 51 Test innings. He has scored Test centuries in Australia, South Africa, England, and India.
InT20Is however, Pant has had a disappointing run with the bat. In 41 T20Is, Pant averages just 23.12 and has a strike-rate of around 124. In the ongoing series against South Africa, Pant has scored 57 runs from four innings at an average of 14.25 and a strike-rate of 105.56.
Pant has struggled to get going in the middle-overs and provide finishing touches to the innings.
Even in the last three years, Pant has not been consistent in T20Is. In 2019, he averaged 21 and had a strike-rate of 124.75 in 15 T20I innings. In 2020, he played just two T20Is and got an opportunity to bat once in which he was unbeaten on 1. In 2021, he averaged 30.43 and in 2022, he averages 23.40 in six T20I innings.
Dinesh Karthik, based on current form, deserves to be the first-choice keeper ahead of Rishabh Pant in T20Is for team India.
#3 DK provides an experienced and calming effect to the middle-order
Ever since the retirement of MS Dhoni from T20Is, India has struggled to find a finisher who could change the course of a T20 game in the span of an over or two.
Dinesh Karthik fits the bill. He is an experienced cricketer and can bat at any position in the middle-order depending on the situation of the game.
𝐃𝐊 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫!
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Karthik has been exceptional, especially when India are chasing a target. He averages 65.25 with the bat while chasing as compared to 23 while batting first.
He averages 42 with the bat batting at Nos. 5 and 6, and 110 batting at No. 7 in T20Is. He can be used as a floater in the middle-order and can provide finishing touches to the innings along with other finishers like Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja.