"If you talk about consistency, then he is ahead of them all" - Kapil Dev on Dinesh Karthik's batting
Former India captain Kapil Dev reserved high praise for veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik. He mentioned that the right-hander, with his sheer consistency, has made it difficult for national selectors to overlook him.
Speaking on the YouTube channel Uncut, Kapil Dev stated that Dinesh Karthik has done exceptionally well in his recent outings. He pointed out that the 37-year-old made his international debut even before MS Dhoni and is still going strong.
The former all-rounder suggested that it gets difficult to keep motivation levels high after a point and lauded Karthik for his passion for the game. He further added that the player has been successful in making an impact even after not getting a lot of balls to face.
Kapil Dev said:
"This time he has performed so well that he has forced the selectors to think that 'look, you can't ignore me'. Rishabh Pant is a youngster, he has plenty of cricket. Dinesh Karthik has experience and performance, which is why I would say, that no praise is enough for him.
"He has been playing cricket even before MS Dhoni. It’s been 2 years since Dhoni retired but even now, Karthik has kept his motivation level high and to love the game with the same passion and heart after so many years is not easy.
"If you talk about consistency, then Dinesh Karthik is ahead of them all. Irrespective of how many balls he faces – 20, 10, or 15, he always delivers, like we saw in the IPL."
Dinesh Karthik got a new lease of life at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where he excelled in the finisher's role in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022). He mustered 330 runs from 16 games at a fantastic strike rate of 183.33.
The seasoned campaigner was named in India's squad for the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa. He will be aiming to make the most of this opportunity as he looks to find a place in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad.
India to take on South Africa in the 3rd T20I of the series on Tuesday
Having lost the first two fixtures of the rubber, the upcoming contest becomes a must-win one for Rishabh Pant and Co. to stay afloat in the series.
South Africa, on the other hand, will look to continue their good form to complete a stunning series win.
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India and South Africa are scheduled to battle it out in the third T20I of the series on Tuesday (June 14). The match is set to be played at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.