Dinesh Karthik broke MS Dhoni-led record during a match-winning knock vs South Africa in the fourth T20I
India was looking to win the fourth T20I match of the series against South Africa to level the series as one more match is still to go. Veteran wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik came to the party as he played a scintillating knock of 55 runs off 27 balls at a strike rate of 203.70. He stitched a partnership with Hardik Pandya as India was struggling by losing four wickets for 81 runs in 12.5 overs. Both of them ensured that India reach 169 runs in 20 overs by losing only two more wickets.
Indian bowlers, specially Avesh Khan performed brilliantly as South Africa got bundled out on their lowest ever total of 87 runs in the T20I history. It was a memorable night for Dinesh Karthik as he scored his maiden T20I half-century for his country after making a debut in 2006 against the same opponent. Interesting, he won the player of the match in that match also like this one for scoring a vital 28-ball 31 runs.
“You got to capitalize on certain overs, take some risks.” – Dinesh Karthik
Speaking after the innings, Karthik said that he was thinking about how to do it and to take some risks. He said: “With how India was placed at 10 overs, it was important in the scheme of things, so I was very happy with what we did today. I believed that we could get 80-85 in the last 7 overs. I was thinking about how to do it. You got to capitalize on certain overs and take some risks. Risks are something you need to accept and absorb in T20 cricket, so I was trying to weigh my options and figure out what to do.”
After scoring this fifty, he broke the record of MS Dhoni for being the oldest Indian player to slam a T20I fifty. Dinesh Karthik is now 37 years and 16 days old while MS Dhoni was 36 years and 229 days old. His stint with the Bangalore franchise earned him this place and he has been justifying his selection ahead of the selection for the 20–20 World Cup later this year in Australia.
Dinesh Karthik will be in action again in Bangalore on 19 June 2022 with a motive to win the series over South Africa.
