The role of a finisher in limited overs cricket is viewed with great respect. For any team to be successful in the T20 and 50-over formats, it is necessary to have a player who can fit the role. Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Team India has a player who lives up to that criterion and can make it to the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. According to Sanjay Manjrekar, Dinesh Karthik is a strong contender to play the finisher’s role in the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October-November this year.
After a stellar season with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Dinesh Karthik returned to the Indian team for the T20I series against South Africa. In the IPL, he got to bat at number six, so that he could score maximum runs for the team in the death overs. He did exactly that. Dinesh Karthik scored runs in IPL 2022 at a strike rate of over 180.
Sanjay Manjrekar told NDTV, ‘I think he got a good opportunity to prove his worth. That series against South Africa, especially in the fourth game, where he was the player of the match, was a demonstration of his ability to score runs at a strike rate of 200. Karthik made his first half-century in T20 International against South Africa in Rajkot. About 15 years after that, he again scored a half-century against the same team. It was one such innings of his, due to which India’s score reached 169 runs. South Africa eventually broke under the pressure and were bundled out for 87.
Manjrekar said, “So yes, he is a very attractive option. There will be a few matches before the T20 World Cup so I think he needs to keep reminding the selectors that he is still relevant. Karthik traveled to Ireland with Team India for the two-match T20 International series. There he played the first match under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. In this he got 4 balls to play and he remained unbeaten on 5 runs.
Dinesh Karthik can also be selected for the series against England in July 2022. After this, he can be a part of Team India in the West Indies and Australia as well as in the Asia Cup before the T20 World Cup in Australia. Manjrekar said, “It is amazing that the man has carved a niche for himself at this stage of his career. I even tweeted about him. I wrote that he is indeed one of those rare players, one of the first players in the world in T20 cricket to actually be a specialist kind of cameo batsman.
He said, ‘It is not that he will bat at number three or number four. He will usually bat at number 5, 6 or 7. He will only get a few overs or just 15-20 balls to contribute to the team. Despite this, he exerts his influence. Such batsmen are like a string for a bow.
Manjrekar believes that a batsman like Karthik, who doesn’t get too many deliveries to set up and knows how to score against opposition bowlers in the death overs, is invaluable to the success of the Indian team. “So Dinesh Karthik really makes a place in this team for his cameo batting. With Pant as the keeper and Dinesh Karthik as the only batsman in the team, tells you the kind of work he is doing, which has been amazing!’