Dinesh Karthik became a household name in Sri Lanka overnight after his stunning last ball six that secured India the Nidahas Trophy in the final against Bangladesh at RPS.

by Rex Clementine

There is a new face in the commentary box in England this summer. Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik indeed has been a breath of fresh air rubbing shoulders with veterans in the field like David Lloyd and Michael Atherton. His analysis of the game, talking batting and keeping techniques and modern trends in the game are so educative.

Karthik became an instant hero in Sri Lanka after the 2018 Nidahas Trophy final at RPS where he hit the last ball for six to help India record a thrilling win over Bangladesh. Sri Lanka had failed to qualify for the finals after losing a tensed group game to Bangladesh, a game in which Shakib Al Hasan broke the dressing room door.

The Venue Manager had lodged a complaint with Match Referee and fans were hoping Shakib would get suspended. However, surprisingly, Sri Lanka Cricket requested their employee to withdraw the complaint. Shakib was let off once again and he played the final.

Usually, Indian teams don’t get much crowd support in Sri Lanka but for this final, spectators turned up in their number carrying the tri-colour flag. The final was slipping away from India. There was no ice-cool M.S. Dhoni to deliver them from a crisis but India found an ideal replacement in Dinesh Karthik.

India needed five runs off the last ball bowled by Soumya Sarkar. You would have expected Karthik to target the short leg-side boundary, but he preferred to aim the off-side sending the ball soaring over the deep cover boundary ropes and towards the Khettarama Maha Viharaya. The fans were jubilant and Karthik became an instant hero in Sri Lanka.

“See, after that game there was lot of love and warmth from the people of Sri Lanka. I can sense the feeling. Bangladesh had beaten Sri Lanka just before that and all Sri Lankans wanted us to win the final as there was so much animosity towards Bangladesh,” Dinesh Karthik told The Island in an interview.

“Even now, I am in the UK and find Sri Lankan fans coming up to me and saying that they loved that moment. Obviously, it was a huge moment in my career as well winning that final in that fashion.

Karthik turned 36 last month. He looks comfortable behind microphone and probably he is set for a career in broadcasting. “First of all, I would like to mention that I am not retired from cricket. I would like to play for India again. I have enjoyed my time doing commentaries and let’s see what’s on the cards in the future.”

Madras born Karthik is married to squash star Dipika Pallikal, a Commonwealth Games Gold medallist. He assessed Sri Lanka’s performance during the recent tour to UK and expected a tough outing against India although several leading players are missing.

“Clearly, Sri Lanka lacked experience. They took on a formidable England side and they struggled. But there were some positives as well on the bowling front. India have a strong team too and Sri Lanka will have their task cut out. All these Indian players have featured in the IPL and they are quite adapt at dealing with high pressure situations and all that.”