“Hello comeback king” - Twitterati hail Dinesh Karthik as keeper-batter returns to Indian team after 3 years

Dinesh Karthik is back in the Indian team after three years.

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik made a much-hyped return to the Indian team as he was included in the playing XI for the 1st T20I against South Africa in Delhi on Thursday (June 9).

The 37-year-old last represented India at the 2019 World Cup and was dropped from the team following the Men in Blue’s loss to New Zealand in the semi-finals of the ICC event.

Karthik has forced his way back into the team on the back of a sensational IPL 2022 season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Playing the finisher’s role for the franchise, the veteran batter clobbered 330 runs in 16 matches at an average of 55 and a superb strike rate of 183.33.

Following his exploits, Dinesh Karthik was named in the Indian squad for the five-match T20I series against the Proteas.

Fans were thrilled with the Tamil Nadu batter's return to the Indian team after a gap of three years and wished him good luck. Here are some reactions shared for the cricketer on Twitter:

What a ride it has been for Dinesh Karthik, dropped from wrong format after 2019 World Cup, grinded so hard in domestics, won trophies for Tamil Nadu, did commentary for Sky in the last summer then after having a great IPL 2022 & now, making his return to ICT after 3 long years.

DK IS BACK! That’s it, that’s the tweet. ✍️

#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #TeamIndia #ನಮ್ಮRCB #INDvSA

Dinesh Karthik played 13 innings for India from No.6 or lower in T20Is in 2018-19

-56.5 Avg
-161.4 SR

He never played T20Is for 3 years.

Great to see him back for India in a T20 WC year. If he makes it to the WC squad, he'd be playing a T20 WC after 12 years.

#INDvSA https://t.co/X0Yy0oQEtU

Dinesh Karthik is back ⚡ #INDvSA https://t.co/5PfqbId2Dx

Good to see @DineshKarthik back in team India after 3 long years..!
All the best RCBian ❤️❤️❤️

#IndiavsSouthAfrica #SAvsInd #INDvSA #RishabPant #ViratKohli𓃵 #CricketTwitter

Hardwork always pays off
Make a good comeback in indian team also champ @DineshKarthik
#DineshKarthik twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns… https://t.co/KTXNhqtIGR

Dinesh Karthik playing for India after 3 long years.🥺
Again proud of you @DineshKarthik
for Indian & Tamilan ❤️
#INDvSA #DineshKarthik https://t.co/vqpdM6xOS1

#INDvSA

DK is Back , awesome inspiration and date to live today.

#DK #dineshkarthik #RishabhPant #Cricket #CricketTwitter

@RCBTweets Dinesh Karthik is truly the "KING of Comebacks"!!! 👑

DK & #TeamIndia is a Never-Ending Love Story!❤

2004 - 2022.. still going super strong!💪

Good things always happen to Good people. DK is one of the nicest guys going around in cricket 🏏

#DineshKarthik #INDvSA #INDvsSA https://t.co/BIzIapbQCO

Hello comeback King!
@DineshKarthik
Good to see you back in Indian side!
Don't let us down ☺️
#INDvSA
#dk

So Happy for DK! <3
Absolutely deserving!!
#DineshKarthik

DINESH KARTHIK ROCK IT TODAY

Happy to see @DineshKarthik in playing xi 😊 go well DK ❤️ give your best ...you deserve it all .

#INDvSA
#DineshKarthik
#CricketTwitter

“He has been a point of difference for whichever team that he has played” - Rahul Dravid on Dinesh Karthik

Speaking ahead of the T20I series against South Africa, Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that Karthik's performance with the willow against the Proteas would be observed closely.

Sharing his views on the keeper-batter in the pre-match press conference, he had opined:

"With Dinesh it is pretty obvious and very clear. He has made a comeback based on the skills that he has shown in a particular phase of the game. The phase of the game that Dinesh, at the back-end, has really been able to show skills over the last two or three years, he has been able to be a point of difference for whichever team that he has played.”

Dravid added:

"I see that as no different (in Team India). That's why he has been picked. He has been picked to bat in that kind of position, and see whether he can replicate those kind of performance for India as well."

Ahead of the Delhi T20I, Dinesh Karthik has scored 399 runs in 33 T20Is at a strike rate of 143.52.