'DK will be easy to convince I guess' - Rohit Sharma on persuading MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik for T20 World Cup 2024

The race for the wicketkeeping slots in the national team has been a hot topic. India captain Rohit Sharma recently provided some interesting insights into the matter, revealing that it would be a tough task to convince MS Dhoni to make a comeback. Rohit also talked about how Dinesh Karthik, however, could be an easier option to secure a spot in India's squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in June.

During a conversation on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, Rohit heaped praise on the veterans of the game, Dhoni and Karthik, acknowledging their impressive performances in the ongoing IPL 2024 season.

Rohit was particularly impressed by Dhoni's heroics against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, where he smashed 20* runs off just four balls, including three consecutive sixes off Hardik Pandya's bowling, guiding Chennai Super Kings to a winning total of 206 runs.

"I was quite impressed, quite impressed, especially with Dinesh. The way he batted a couple of nights back. Dhoni, as well, came to play 4 balls, and made a huge impact, with those 20 runs. That was eventually the difference in the game," Rohit said on the podcast.

Also read: RP Singh & Suresh Raina discuss MS Dhoni's future beyond IPL 2024

It'll be hard to convince MSD: Rohit Sharma

However, when it came to the prospect of Dhoni's return to the Indian national team, Sharma expressed his doubts, stating that it would be hard to convince the former Indian skipper to join the squad for the marquee event in the West Indies and the United States. 

"It'll be hard to convince MSD to come to the West Indies I guess. He is sick and tired. He is coming to the US though to do something else. He is into golf, so he will play golf I guess," he added.

On the other hand, Rohit revealed that convincing Karthik, who has been in exceptional form in the IPL 2024, might be an easier task. "DK will be easy to convince I guess," Rohit said.

Also read: Dinesh Karthik responds to Rohit Sharma's 'World Cup' banter with 108-meter six

Karthik has consistently performed for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, scoring a 53 against MI and an impressive 83 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, almost single-handedly taking his team to the finish line in the latter game. 

Rohit's stump-mic remarks which were caught during the match against RCB, where he jokingly told Karthik, "He will have to push for his World Cup selection, he has the World Cup (T20) on his mind," further fueled the speculation around Karthik's potential inclusion in the national team.

Rohit acknowledged that he was trying to put some pressure on Karthik, "I was just trying to put some pressure on him. Eventually, after the game against SRH, he went and spoke after the SRH game. I think that some captain was asking if I was ready for the World Cup, this is the answer from me," Rohit concluded.