Dinesh Karthik Sums Up His Situation Perfectly - I'm Studying In The University In Which MS Dhoni Is The Topper

Two years back, Dinesh Karthik admitted that MS Dhoni was "mentally stronger" than him. However, since Karthik's heroics against Bangladesh, there has been talk that Karthik could be the successor to MS Dhoni when it comes to playing the role of 'finisher' in limited-overs cricket.

So, is Karthik ready to embrace a role which Dhoni has performed with aplomb for so long? "When it comes to Dhoni, I am studying in the university in which he is the topper," Karthik said.

"So, it is unfair for me to be compared with him. I've started my journey. It (final heroics) has given me a new wind of hope. His journey has been totally different.

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I've always been an understudy. I've always looked up to him. Today he is helping out the youngsters. The way he has gone on from strength to strength is for people to see and learn," Karthik said.

For someone who has close to 20,000 domestic runs in a career spanning over 14 years, it was a matter of eight balls that brought about this new-found adulation. "It is probably good karma I guess, for all the good things I've done all through my cricketing career! It probably helped me hit that six.

Probably all the good things you do over the years fetched me that two millimetres extra (beyond the boundary)! It just feels good hat suddenly after so many years there is lot of attention on me, which is different to what it is when you are playing domestic cricket. From here on I want to do things like that consistently," said Karthik and added that the Test call-up in South Africa was a "massive confidence booster".

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Karthik terms himself a fidgety person. However, his association with mentor and former India cricketer Abhishek Nayar has helped him become calm and stronger mentally.

Explaining their partnership over the last two-and-a-half years, Karthik said: "He has been the river and I've been the boat. I've just gone along in whatever path he gave me. He has made me do things that I'm not comfortable doing.

He has helped me prepare for games, made me think better in terms of strategy. It is hard to put in words how indebted I'm to him. He made sure that I didn't make the mistakes he did."

Amidst all the success, Karthik is keen on delivering for India as a flexible team player. "I have always enjoyed playing as a batsman. In the T20s, I've been asked to play at six and seven. I've finished a few innings.

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It feels good and the most important thing is to keep doing it consistently. That's what I'm focusing on. In ODIs, they are looking at slightly up the order. I'm just keeping all my options open and develop into a cricketer who can play according to the situation," he added.

Karthik is also gearing up for his new role in the IPL as skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders. He believes captaincy has come to him at the perfect time. "It has come at the right stage. I want to embrace this challenge.

Being the captain of a team that has a solid fan base is an incredible feeling. I spoke to coach Jacques Kallis. He is someone who speaks very little. But whatever he says will have a lot of meaning to it. Our strength is our bowling attack. We have good experience in the batting department and I'm looking forward to it."