Dinesh Karthik recalls the 'MS Dhoni-mania' which derailed his international career

With MS Dhoni’s ascent, Indian cricket entered a new era. Many people find inspiration in the young man from Ranchi, Jharkhand, who developed into a giant in the world of cricket. 

Wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik began his tenure with the Men in Blue a few months before Dhoni’s India debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh. 

In September 2004, he made his ODI debut at Lord’s against England. Karthik, though, quickly established himself as the former India captain’s understudy due to Dhoni’s overwhelming dominance.

Karthik put in a lot of work and is still competing at the highest level, whereas Dhoni went on to win three ICC titles as India’s captain. He even represented India in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Karthik recently discussed his feelings about making his debut when Dhoni-mania was just getting started.

Dinesh Kartik shared on an RCB podcast “I made my debut before him. We went together on an India A tour and from there I got picked for the Indian team, he was still there in India A team.”

This was not the end Karthik eagerly share his feeling and experience with his beloved fans. 

He said, “That was the first time I played a four-day match together with him. I did so well that they picked me for the Indian team. From there, they went on another trip, there was a ODI tournament where he just blasted it. People stood up and said there is nobody like him. They said he’s a special player. Obviously I came to the Indian team, but by then the Dhoni mania was so big that you had to pick him. He then replaced me in all formats and he did very well. At the end of the day, it is all about taking opportunities. You got to be ready to take opportunities.

“I was chasing excellence. I was constantly on the path of becoming the best cricketer in the world. Dhoni was there, he wasn’t there – that wasn’t my lookout. He was doing very well for himself. I knew that he had settled in all team. He made no mistake at the start. They sent him up an order, he got a hundred in ODI. He then went to Test cricket and scored 85. He kept brilliantly. Most importantly, he became a brand overnight. People were after him. He was hugely popular sportsperson right from the outset. I was always the understudy but I was always on the lookout for opportunities, doing something special.”

Exclusively it is also known that Karthik, who now plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore is getting ready for the Indian Premier League. Also, Dhoni is getting ready for the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings as well.