I would love to play for CSK in 2018: Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik said that he dreams of playing for his “home team” Chennai Super Kings. After serving a 2-year ban, CSK is set to return to the IPL in the 11th season of the IPL. MS Dhoni led the franchise in the first 8 years, in which they also lifted the IPL title twice. The former Indian skipper looks set to return to Chennai, a place he calls his second home.

Karthik made an umpteenth come back to the Indian side

Karthik recently made a return to the national team on the basis of a stellar run in domestic cricket for Tamil Nadu. He followed it up by amassing 361 runs from 14 games at 36.10 and a strike rate of 140 which prompted the selectors to pick him as a late replacement of Manish Pandey in the squad of the ICC Champions Trophy. He didn’t get a game until he was included in the XI on the tour of West Indies where he had a decent run with the bat.

Ten seasons on, Karthik has played more than 150 games in the cash-rich tournament. In these years, he has represented Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Kings Xi Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Karthik dreams of playing for CSK one day.

“Whenever I speak about CSK it brings a smile to my face, it’s my home team. I would love to play for them but it also depends on the team composition, I’m sure they have so many coaches preparing for the auction. If by luck I get into the team nothing like it, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the auction,” Karthik told Tamil Nadu Premier League’s (TNPL) website.

Karthik praises TNPL

The 32-year old is currently leading the Tuti Patriots in the TNPL. He intends to put up a good show with the bat in order to stake a claim in the middle order for the limited overs tour of Sri Lanka. Karthik spoke highly of the tournament, as it provides good white-ball exposure to the youngsters of the state.

“I genuinely feel this tournament helped Tamil Nadu do what it could in the white ball versions of domestic cricket. It’s a great tournament for these young boys and I want to help them in whatever way I can. It’s good to play some high intensity matches, in front of a crowd and viewed on TV,” he said.

Karthik has set sight on the 2019 World Cup which is scheduled to be held in England. He has been a part of two memorable ICC wins for India: World T20 in 2007 and Champions Trophy in 2013.