Published: Sep 21, 2016, 05:20 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 21, 2016, 06:19 PM (IST)
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been doing well recently. The skipper of the Tuti Patriots lead his team to a win in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) final, against Chepauk Super Gillies. The Patriots romped to a 122-run win in the inaugural season of the TNPL. Karthik, did not feature in all the matches for his team, and was also a part of the India Blue team in the Duleep Trophy 2016-17. But his spectacular run-of-form was on show in both the competitions and now, 31-year-old Karthik desires to come back into the Indian cricket team, with momentum on his side. In an interview with TOI, Karthik answered some questions relating to his last few months.
When asked how it felt to win the first edition of the TNPL, Karthik said, “It’s been a great tournament and I am extremely happy that I could play the league and also be a part of the winning team. As for winning, all the credit goes to the young talents we had in the team. The support staff was also really encouraging and they never put pressure on the boys anytime during the tournament. That made the boys really comfortable about playing in their own styles. And once we started winning a few games and gained momentum, we never slipped back.” READ: Tuti Patriots thrash Chepauk Super Gillies to win inaugural TNPL 2016 title
Asked on his chances of making a comeback into the Indian team, after a good domestic season, Karthik said, “It’s just the start of the season and it is really important that I try and do my best. I’ve already started off well with my performances in the Duleep Trophy and TNPL. Now, what is important is to maintain this momentum and I should be back in the squad soon, hopefully.”
Karthik’s wife, Dipika Pallikal who is a squash player, had earlier said, that she does not follow cricket much, but does watch matches in which Karthik is playing. To this Karthik said, “She is quite glued into cricket now. In fact, she was there for the TNPL finals on Sunday (September 18). Apart from my matches, she also follows matches played by my close friends.
