I'm well-suited to play role that MS Dhoni has played for long in T20s, says Dinesh Karthik

After scoring a total of 89 runs in six innings at an average of 22.85 in 2019 ODIs, Dinesh Karthik has been out of favour from the T20 squad as well for a little fault of his own. He proved the naysayers wrong in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a series of stunning performance, which brought in the hope of his national comeback. At least, hope has been rekindled in his own batting as men's T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia late next year for a place.

"It's [The T20 World Cup] a year away but if I feel I can keep performing and have a good tournament, I'm sure I will go out there and play," Karthik, 34, told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Hazare knockouts.

"Because, I feel it's a key part that the Indian team is looking out as well - closing out matches and have someone who can understand those situations and do the best at that point of time. And I feel I've done that in the short time I'd played T20s [for India]. But, post the World Cup, I didn't play; they clubbed it [poor run at the World Cup] with the T20 part of it and removed me from the team as well.

"But I feel that I'm well-suited to play that role Dhoni has played for so many years now. I feel I can do something like that and I've been doing that for KKR and Tamil Nadu. So, if a slot opens up there, that's something I'll be really looking forward to. The T20 World Cup is definitely something I'd want to play."

Everything might be forgotten but his 29 off eight balls, including a last-ball six, in the Nidahas Trophy tri-series final in Colombo last year was the finest chapter in his career. As a matter of fact, in the seven innings he has batted in when India have won chasing, Karthik has been there until the end in all seven occasions, making 141 runs at a strike rate of 142.42.

"I want to bat in the toughest conditions and in the place where I can give others the opportunity to play and in the hardest times in the match I think I can use my experience. As someone who has been with Tamil Nadu for so long, I feel all the tough moments could be handled by somebody like me. And in those moments I could have somebody young with me and I could guide him along those lines. So, that's the role I'm doing here."