‘Dhoni mania was so big…’: Dinesh Karthik recalls the competition with veteran India stumper

One of the greatest wicketkeepers of all time, MS Dhoni, is a name that every cricket enthusiast is familiar with, but there was also a time when the Indian legend had to struggle to find a place in the team as there were quite a few other wicketkeeping options available for selection during that period.

Dinesh Karthik was among those who caught the eye of selectors before Dhoni and made his India debut three months earlier than the latter. Notably, the 37-year-old Tamil Nadu cricketer made his maiden appearance for India in an ODI on September 5, 2004. Meanwhile, Dhoni donned the national jersey for the first time on December 23 later that year.

Soon after Dhoni’s debut, Karthik became a second choice of the selectors as the Ranchi cricketer stunned everyone with his exceptional performance and cemented his spot in the team. Since then, Dhoni continued his reign and didn’t look back. He later became the captain of the Indian side across formats, further diminishing the chances of Karthik.

Talking about the competition with Dhoni in RCB Podcast, Karthik has now revealed that how Dhoni surpassed him with his exploits across formats. He also admitted that by the time he was recalled to the team, Dhoni had become a big and ‘special player’.

“I made my debut before him. We went together on an India A tour and from there I got picked to the Indian team. That was the first time I played a match together with him. I did so well that they picked me for the Indian team. From there, they went on another trip, there was a ODI tournament where he just blasted it there with boundaries and sixes. The world was still getting used to something like that, it was that sort of thing. People stood up and said there is nobody like him. They said he’s a special player,” said Karthik.

“Obviously I came to the Indian team, but by then the Dhoni mania was so big that you had to pick him. He then replaced me in all formats and he did very well. At the end of the day, it is all about taking opportunities,” he added.

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March 02, 2023 at 08:56AM