MI’s man of the moment: Scintillating Dinesh Karthik

All of a sudden, commentators are talking about the “purple patch” that Karthik has struck recently. Nowadays, when he comes to bat for Mumbai Indians, there is a lot of expectation from spectators, experts and even the MI dressing room. He is the most important batsman for the Mumbai Indians, which remember has in its line-up the likes of Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. Batting at No.3 has given Karthik the opportunity to bat during the powerplay on certain occasions, which, I must say, he has made complete use of.

Batting at No.3, in a tournament that’s been played in India, in a team that has Tendulkar, is not that easy a task. When I watched RCB vs MI at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Tendulkar was the first wicket to fall, and Karthik wasn’t given a warm welcome to the field by any means. It was as if Dinesh Karthik didn’t matter much. But the way he played that day, scoring a brisk fifty and almost seeing MI through, will narrate a different tale altogether. Now, the crowd knows that every time he comes into bat, he does matter.

Karthik, who turns 28 on June 1, has matured as a player over the years. He came into the Ranji scene when he was seventeen, as a young and aggressive wicket-keeper batsman with a lot of promise. People must remember that he has opened for India in Tests outside of India, and that tells a lot about Karthik as a batsman. His seamless transition from a fringe player to an important contributor in India’s 2007 tour of England is evidence of the talent that this guy has got. Everyone remembers the double hundred scored by Sachin at Gwalior , but very few would remember the impressive 79 that Karthik had scored in that match.

There is still a long way to go in this IPL, but Karthik has certainly made a mark already, and it would be interesting to see how he keeps up his performances when people really expect him to perform. A test of temperament it will be, and with good results, he can confirm his return to the Indian side.