Dinesh Karthik

Krishnakumar Dinesh Karthik is an Indian professional cricketer and commentator who plays for the India national cricket team and currently in Indian Premier League playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

He is also the current captain of the Tamil Nadu cricket team in domestic cricket. He made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2004. Karthik has become the 4th Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches. Karthik was a member of the team that won both the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Early life:

• Dinesh Karthik was born into a Telugu family from Chennai, India. He began playing cricket at the age of 10, after a two – year period of living in Kuwait where his father worked.
• Karthik was educated in India, and at Carmel School and Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School in Kuwait and finally from eighth standard on studied at Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Egmore in Chennai.
• He was coached in cricket by his father, who was a first – division cricketer from Chennai.
• Disappointed that his career was hindered when he was forced by his family to put his education first, Karthik’s father did not want his son to suffer the same fate and trained him hard from an early age.
• Karthik honed his reflexes at a young age by having his father throw hard leather balls at him at high speed. He was initially a batsman and learned wicket – keeping on the Tamil Nadu youth teams, and Robin Singh considered him very fit.
• Karthik steadily ascended the youth ranks. He made his Tamil Nadu under – 14 debut in early 1999, and was promoted to the under – 19 side at the beginning of the 2000 / 2001 season.
• He made his first – class debut for the senior side the following season.

Domestic Career:

• Karthik made his debut in late 2002 against Baroda as a wicket – keeper.
• He was more productive in his second zonal season, scoring 180 runs at 60.00 with three half – centuries. He was selected for the national under – 19 team, and played in three youth One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Nepal.
• Karthik attended a wicket – keeping camp in the off – season under, guided by former Indian keeper and chairman of selectors Kiran More, which he credited with improving his technique. After playing in the Chennai League, he returned to the under – 22 team at the start of the season before his selection for India Emerging Players to play their youthful counterparts from Sri Lanka and Pakistan in late September.
• Karthik was recalled to the Ranji Trophy team at the beginning of the 2003 – 04 season. In the semi – final against Railways, he scored his maiden first – class century with 122 runs.
• Karthik was selected for the India squad in the 2004 Under – 19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh, and scored two half – centuries on an India A tour to Zimbabwe. He had a strong domestic first – class season in 2008 – 09.
• In 2009 – 2010, he was the Tamil Nadu captain in six Ranji Trophy matches.
• Karthik was named captain of the India A team for the 2018 – 19 Deodhar Trophy in October 2018.
• In October 2019, he was named in the India C squad for the next edition.
• Karthik led the Tamil Nadu team to their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy win, at the tournament’s 2020 – 21 edition, after he captained the team to a win at the inaugural edition in 2006 – 07. He finished with 183 runs at 61.00 and was named captain in Wisden’s ‘team of the tournament’.
• Dinesh Karthik has become the 4th Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches.

International Career:

• Test cricket debut: in the fourth Test between Australia and India in Mumbai in October 2004, replacing Parthiv Patel who was dropped for poor wicket – keeping
• He made his maiden Test century against Bangladesh and was India’s leading scorer in their Test tour of England, helping India win their first series in England in 21 years.
• In the first innings of the third test in late 2008, Karthik was behind the stumps as India set a world record for the most extras conceded in a Test innings; the 35 byes were the second most in Test history.
• He scored an unbeaten 117 against Kerala in the 2009 one – day tournament.
• ODI debut: on 5 September 2004 v England
• T20I debut: on 1 December 2006 v South Africa

Major Achievements:

• He is also the current captain of the Tamil Nadu cricket team in domestic cricket.
• Karthik has become the 4th Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches.
• Karthik was a member of the team that won both the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
• He made his maiden Test century against Bangladesh and was India’s leading scorer in their Test tour of England, helping India win their first series in England in 21 years.
• Between 2018 and 2020, he was the captain of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.
• Karthik has also worked occasionally as a commentator/pundit for British channel Sky Sports between 2020 and 2021, most notably during India’s tour of England.
• In 2009 – 2010, he was the Tamil Nadu captain in six Ranji Trophy matches.
  Karthik was named captain of the India A team for the 2018 – 19 Deodhar Trophy in October 2018.
• In October 2019, he was named in the India C squad for the next edition.
• Karthik led the Tamil Nadu team to their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy win, at the tournament’s 2020 – 21 edition, after he captained the team to a win at the inaugural edition in 2006 – 07. He finished with 183 runs at 61.00 and was named captain in Wisden’s ‘team of the tournament’.
• Dinesh Karthik has become the 4th Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches.