Dinesh Karthik leads Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in this surprising category

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the giants of modern-day cricket. The Indian duo dominates the batting records in all three formats. While Kohli is already 3rd on the list of all-time centurions, Sharma has made his mark with three ODI double centuries and four T20I centuries. However, there is one category where Dinesh Karthik trumps both these batting machines.

Not surprising to see @hardikpandya7 & @dineshkarthik at the top here.
Both have been great T20 finishers for #TeamIndia.

— 100MB (@100MasterBlastr) May 24, 2021

Karthik boasts a better strike rate in international T20s cricket than both Kohli and Sharma. The Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman featured in India’s first-ever T20I match and was also named the Player of the Match. Since then, he has represented India in 31 T20Is. Batting in 25 innings, Karthik has scored 399 runs with a strike rate of 146.15 with an average of 36.27. His T20I strike rate is currently the second-best in Indian cricket after Hardik Pandya (minimum 250 balls faced).

With 3159 runs in T20I cricket, Kohli leads the run tally in world cricket at a strike rate of 139.04. Sharma is the third-highest T20I run-getter in the world. After 111 T20I matches, the Hitman has a strike rate of 138.96. Kohli has struck 28 fifties in the 20-over format and is still searching for his maiden ton. Sharma 22 half-centuries to go with his four centuries.

Ability as a finisher

Karthik has been one of the finest finishers to play for India in the limited-overs format. While his IPL exploits have proved his batting talent in tense situations, he stole the limelight with his unbelievable innings of 29 not out off eight balls for India against Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final in 2018. With almost 4,000 IPL runs around his belt, the wicketkeeper-batsman is a proven performer in the shortest format of the game.

With the T20I World Cup around the corner, Karthik will be the best option as a finisher for India. His ability to score in unexpected areas and playing shots all around the ground allows him to score quickly in the death overs. His experience of more than 17 years in international cricket will also come in handy for Kohli and co in the upcoming World Cup.