My goal is to play 2019 World Cup, says Dinesh Karthik
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Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik who shone in phases in the recently concluded West Indies tour is aiming for 2019 WC. He wants to wear the white jersey again and become a part of the Indian Test team and also stated that he would love to play under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.
Indian player Karthik played 23 Test matches and scored 1000 runs for India. The 32-year-old played his last Test against Bangladesh in 2010. After a seven year span, the Tamil Nadu player wanted to be a part of the Indian Test cricket squad and cleared that he had no hesitation in playing under Kohli’s captaincy.Â
"I want to try to push for a spot in the Test team now that I am part of the ODI and T20 sides. That is a plausible dream for me. I would love to wear the whites again and play under Virat Kohli's captaincy. The kind of shots I have, it can make an impact in the middle-order," Karthik said in an interview to PTI.
During the recently concluded tour of West Indies, Karthik scored unbeaten 50 in the final ODI and a 48-run innings in the only T20I. He seems satisfied after his performance and stated that his goal is to play the 2019 World Cup.
"I didn't play well in the first game (the fourth ODI). I was happy I could score in the final match in a winning cause. It was also nice to put up a partnership with Kohli. He is a great player to play with, a good judge of a run. He is very positive and vibrant person as well. He also made me feel good.
"It is important to make use of the opportunity given to me in the One-dayers. But I don't want to keep thinking about it and put pressure on myself. The plan is to score runs whenever I get an opportunity. It feels good to score runs for the country. Feels good to be back in the team. The aim is to play the World Cup in 2019," the 32-year-old said.
In the West Indies tour, Karthik played only as a batsman and was not given any wicket-keeping duties. When asked if he would continue the role of a proper batsman in the future, he refused and claimed that he wants to play as an all-rounder. "I am a genuine keeper and a genuine batsman. In a sense, I am a two-skilled player. I am a genuine all-rounder and can also field at any position. I have always had the confidence that I can play in any team as a batsman. Keeping comes naturally to me," the Tamil Nadu batsman replied.
Karthik also gave his opinion on the return of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. He was happy with the development but also claimed that it will be a great challenge for the team.
"It is a massive challenge. You know it is not easy to build a team from scratch. We don't know anything until the rules come up."
