Dinesh Karthik backs himself to play for India in upcoming T20 World Cups

Dinesh Karthik, the veteran Indian cricketer, reckons that not performing well in the 2019 World Cup led to his ouster from the T20I team as well. In three games, he could only manage 14 runs at an average of seven. In the semi-final against New Zealand when India lost three early wickets inside four overs, Karthik managed a laborious 25-ball six before getting out to Matt Henry.

It’s nearly been two years since he last donned the national jersey. However, at the age of 36, the Tamil Nadu-born doesn’t wish to throw in the towel just yet. Karthik said that he has the potential to play in the upcoming T20 World Cups.

I know I have done really well in the past: Dinesh Karthik

“What they want to see is not the age but how fit you are. If you can get through the fitness tests, it means you are ready to play for the country. My aim is to play for the country in the T20 World Cups. There are back-to-back T20 World Cups, this year and the next year, and I am doing everything I can to be a part of that,” Karthik was quoted as saying in Cricket Next.

“I know I have done really well in the past and even when I got dropped from the team after the World Cup, I thought I had done phenomenally well for India in T20s up till then, but because the World Cup did not go well, I got chucked out of the T20 as well,” he added.

Karthik gave his international career a massive boost when he notched an unbeaten eight-ball 29 against Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final in 2018. With five runs needed off the last ball, Karthik smashed Soumya Sarkar for a six over the extra-cover region.

He made his debut way back in 2004, but due to the emergence of MS Dhoni, he has strained to cement his place in the team. Karthik also reckons that though the Men in Blue have Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in their ranks, he also has the ability to play the role of a finisher.