Delhi: Dinesh Karthik's strike rate in the matches played till April 17 in IPL 2024 is 205.45 and this is no joke. Batsman-keeper Dinesh Karthik (226 runs- 18 sixes, 16 fours) is the only one who has scored at least 200 runs in the season. Klaasen and Abhishek Sharma are also not in this list. So in such a situation the issue will definitely arise that he should be a part of Team India for the next T20 World Cup 2024. His amazing finishing innings are in the news and especially after his 83 runs with the help of 7 sixes and 5 fours in 35 balls for RCB against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the votes for Dinesh Karthik increased further.
This was the same story as in IPL 2022 – even then he scored 330 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 183+ and had such support on social media that the selectors brought him in the team for the T20 World Cup. Then hit 22 sixes. The same is happening now and he has become a contender for the wicketkeeper-batsman slot. All this is fine, but would it be right to call Dinesh Karthik at this time in a tough international tournament like T20 World Cup just by looking at the runs of the IPL season? What are the reasons why he should not be included in the World Cup team just by looking at the mathematics of his runs and strike rate? Let's see the big reason:
- There is a difference between the runs of IPL and international cricket: Exactly the same happened in 2022 and then in the IPL season, 330 runs scored at 183+ strike rate were of no use and in the World Cup, only 14 runs were scored in 3 innings of 4 matches at 63 strike rate. From- 6 runs in 15 balls against South Africa. All this was such a disappointing performance that after that he was never selected in Team India.
- Well, Dinesh Karthik's strike rate of 205.45 is attractive but he will turn 39 when the T20 World Cup starts on June 2. Although he is fit and has not retired yet, he himself has said that he will not play in IPL even after 2024. Choosing them means not seeing the future.
- Those supporting him are saying that Rahul, Samson and Kishan are batting in the top order, Pant is not completely fit, Jurel is not even the wicketkeeper of RR while Bharat is sitting on the bench for KKR, hence DK and Jitesh Sharma. Bache and DK are more experienced. This argument is good on paper but it is not preparation for the future. When will others give others a chance?
- There is a lot of difference between IPL and international cricket – here the boundaries are smaller, the pitch is made for batting and there is dew. This will not happen in the World Cup. Selecting players only on IPL record is not the right policy and that is why they are not winning the tournament. Anyway, the 2022 experiment has failed. Take a lesson from him.
- It is not just about Dinesh Karthik – such experiments usually fail – ignoring Chahal in the World Cup team, choosing people like Ashwin and Varun – all this was wrong. Dinesh has also failed with Karthik.
- When Karthik failed in the last T20 World Cup, Karthik was out and that was the end of his international career. Then Chief Selector Chetan Sharma had also said that now there will be a new strategy for the next World Cup.
His dedication and hard work should be praised even at this age, but he should respectfully tell himself that he will not play in the World Cup – this will be a better memory for his career.
