‘By then the Dhoni Mania was so big that you had to pick him’ - Dinesh Karthik opens up about being replaced by MS Dhoni

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni has been one of the biggest legends of Indian cricket over the years. Widely regarded as one of the greatest captains of the Indian team, he led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy victories.

Due to Dhoni’s continued excellence with team India, there have been many names who were unable to get consistent opportunities with the national side, one such name is Dinesh Karthik. 37-year-old Karthik recently came forward to talk about being Dhoni’s understudy.

"I made my debut before him. We went together on an India A tour, and from there I got picked for the Indian team. I did so well that they picked me for the Indian team. From there, they went on another trip. There was an ODI tournament, where he just blasted it there with boundaries and sixes. The world was still getting used to something like that; it was that sort of thing. People stood up and said there is nobody like him," Karthik said on the RCB podcast.

"They said he's a special player. Obviously I came to the Indian team, but by then the Dhoni mania was so big that you had to pick him. He then replaced me in all formats and he did very well. At the end of the day, it is all about taking opportunities," he added.

He became a brand overnight: Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik came into the Indian team before Dhoni; he put in excellent performances in the India A tour, which earned him a spot in the national side. But ever since Dhoni’s explosive knocks came into the limelight, it got tough for Karthik to earn a place in the Indian squad.

Karthik also talked about taking his opportunities ever since the Dhoni name became a ‘brand’. "He was doing very well for himself. I knew that he had settled into the team. And he made no mistake. They sent him up an order, he got a hundred in ODI. He then went to Test cricket and scored 85. He kept brilliantly. Most importantly, he became a brand overnight. People were after him. He was huge right from the outset. I remained under study but I was always on the lookout for opportunities," the 37-year-old concluded.