The Last Time Dinesh Karthik Was Picked For The World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar Was Playing And I Was Still In College
After 12 years, he has another shot at glory.
If one compares the 2019 World Cup squad to the one picked in 2015, there will be 7 common faces. Go back to 2011 and you will find two. Go further back to 2007, you will also find two. One is former skipper MS Dhoni, the other is a man who is back in the squad for the major event after 12 years. That man is Dinesh Karthik.
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Yes, the 33-year-old was last picked in a World Cup squad 12 years ago. Now he is once again getting a chance to go on the big stage. Of course a lot has changed since then. Imagine, when Karthik last played, Sachin Tendulkar was still playing and the writer of this article was still in college. But one thing is still common. Karthik was struggling to maintain a place in the side then and is still doing so now. Perhaps that makes his achievement all the more special and the World Cup spot is a reward for the extra hard work he has put in over the last cover of years.
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He trumped Rishabh Pant for a place as the 2nd keeper after MS Dhoni. One must remember that Pant was already hailed as Dhoni's replacement and considered the next big thing in Indian cricket. But what went in Karthik's favour was the fact that he has played some cool knocks under pressure over the past one year. Be as it may, this is his last chance to make it count. 91 games in 15 years means he has always had to look behind his shoulder and maybe it's time that all that vigilance paid off.
When he was part of the squad in 2007, India were out in the first round. This time there is a high chance we could go all the way. He already has a World T20 medal to his name, now the World Cup beckons.
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12 years on the scene is different. India have improved as a side, Sachin is retired and I am working for a reputed media house as a sports journalist. No more turning back the clock, now it's time to move forward.
