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Krishna Kumar Dinesh Karthik (born 1 June 1985) is an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman who made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2004 and has been a regular member of the team for varying periods since then, including a stint in 2007 as a specialist opening batsman and non-wicket-keeper. Karthik was a batsman in his junior career, but turned to wicket-keeping in order to improve his future prospects.
Rising through the junior ranks, Karthik made his first-class debut in late-2002 for Tamil Nadu as a 17-year-old, and was dropped in his first season despite his healthy run-scoring because of his problematic glovework. He fought his way back into the team and after playing for India at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, made his ODI and Test cricket debut in late-2004.
Karthik was the regular wicket-keeper in Tests, making rare appearances in ODIs. During this period, Karthik struggled and averaged less than 20 with the bat, and he was replaced as Test wicketkeeper by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had been prolific and destructive with the bat in ODIs, in late-2005. After donning the mantle of an opener for Tamil Nadu and raising himself to the standard of a specialist batsman at domestic level, he was recalled to the national squad as a batsman in late-2006 after injuries and form slumps hit other batsmen, playing occasional matches in both forms of cricket on the tour to South Africa, and scoring a helf-century in a Test as an opener. Following India's elimination from the first round of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the selectors made multiple changes, and Karthik became a non-wicket-keeping opening batsman in the Test team and regularly played ODIs, batting in the middle order.
He made his maiden Test century against Bangladesh and then was India's leading scorer in the Test tour of England, helping India to win their first series in England in 21 years. However, Karthik suffered a form slump in late-2007 and was dropped from the Test team, and since then has only made sporadic international appearances, although he continues to score heavily in domestic cricket. These have come in occasional appearances as a specialist batsman when other players were rested or injured, or as a wicket-keeper when Dhoni was sidelined.
Dinesh Karthik is not someone who will look intimidating but has the capabilities of dominating and intimidating the opposition on the field. Not very flamboyant in his playing style or persona, Dinesh Karthik is a genuinely talented batsman backed up with good wicket-keeping skills. He shot to limelight in the Under-19 World Cup in Dhaka which saw him showcase his free-flowing batting style to help India to a victory against Sri Lanka. He backed up that performance with a series of good shows in the domestic circuit which got him in contention for national selection.
He made his ODI debut in 2004 and his Test debut the same year against Australia. However, he did not have the best of times as he managed just one half century in a span of ten Test matches, his highest being 93 against Pakistan in Kolkata. The year 2005 proved to be a dry year for Karthik and he next played a Test for India only after two years. His maiden Test hundred came against Bangladesh in Dhaka, but was often out of the Indian squad due to inconsistency and the emergence of MS Dhoni.
Karthik however continued to churn runs in the domestic circuit and made appearances for India till 2010. He was out of the team for three years until he again got a national call up owing to good domestic performances and incredible showings in the IPL for Mumbai Indians. He proved to be the franchise’s batting mainstay with truck loads of runs which was instrumental in Mumbai Indians claiming the title in 2013. He was then picked in the India squad for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England and played the subsequent ODI series in West Indies and Zimbabwe and the Asia Cup in 2014.
He made his ODI debut in 2004 and his Test debut the same year against Australia. However, he did not have the best of times as he managed just one half century in a span of ten Test matches, his highest being 93 against Pakistan in Kolkata. The year 2005 proved to be a dry year for Karthik and he next played a Test for India only after two years. His maiden Test hundred came against Bangladesh in Dhaka, but was often out of the Indian squad due to inconsistency and the emergence of MS Dhoni.
Karthik however continued to churn runs in the domestic circuit and made appearances for India till 2010. He was out of the team for three years until he again got a national call up owing to good domestic performances and incredible showings in the IPL for Mumbai Indians. He proved to be the franchise’s batting mainstay with truck loads of runs which was instrumental in Mumbai Indians claiming the title in 2013. He was then picked in the India squad for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England and played the subsequent ODI series in West Indies and Zimbabwe and the Asia Cup in 2014.