Playing for the country is my biggest motivation: Dinesh Karthik

Tamil Nadu batsman Dinesh Karthik made yet another comeback into the ODI side on the backs of some solid showings in domestic cricket. His form won him a place in the ICC Champions Trophy squad but due to the stern competition for places in the middle order, Karthik did not get a chance in the XI throughout the campaign.

Decent performance by Karthik in the Caribbean

The right-hander was also a part of the winning squad of the ICC event four years ago in 2013. He was picked for the limited overs series in the Caribbean and finally got three chances – 2 in ODIs and one in T20 – where he posted scores of 2, 50* and 48. The 32-year old is hopeful of becoming a regular member of the ODI side. He made 605 runs in 7 games across two different One-day competitions: Vijay Hazare Trophy and Deodhar Trophy, which led Tamil Nadu to the title win in either competition. The fact that Karthik scored hundreds in each of the finals won him a lot of accolades.

Karthik acknowledged that there is a lot of competition for places in the limited overs team but said that his goal is to keep performing in whatever opportunities he is presented with.

“Our India team is very strong, and competitive with many players in good form. It’s a testimony to how good the domestic system is. With IPL in, youngsters are getting lot of exposure. It’s a big challenge to be a part of Indian side.
“But it’s a part of the cricketing journey to be in and out of the side. One key thing to know about being in the side is, you need to be right up there with performance and fitness.”

Karthik was pleased with his twin knocks in the West Indies but said that it is just a start. He said that the prospect of playing for the country keeps him going in domestic cricket.

“I got an opportunity in both matches. But as I said, it’s only a start. If I get a chance to play again, I need to make the most of it and do my best. Wanting to play for the country is what keeps me motivated during my domestic tournaments and I am trying to constantly achieve that.”

Karthik to play for the Patriots in TNPL

Karthik will now play three games for the Tuti Patriots in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. The wicket-keeper batsman is keen on making runs to stake a claim in the middle order for the ODI series in Sri Lanka which is scheduled in August.

In 73 ODIs, the right hander has managed to score 1365 at 28.43. he has 8 half centuries to his name with 79 being his best batting performance. With an extended run in the side, Karthik can surely improve on his ODI statistics.