The aim is to play the World Cup in 2019: Dinesh Karthik

Veteran wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has been on the fringes of the Indian cricket team for quite some time. He made his international comeback during the recently concluded ODI series in the Caribbean. Prior to that, he was named as the replacement of Manish Pandey in the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy. Albeit he did not get a game, the national recall bolstered the spirits of Karthik.

The wicket-keeper batsman is now eyeing a comeback in the Test format of the game. As per the recent quotes in Hindustan Times, Dinesh Karthik spoke at length about the same. He expressed his desire to play Test cricket under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.

“I want to try to push for a spot in the Test team now that I am part of the ODI and T20 sides. That is a plausible dream for me. I would love to wear the whites again and play under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. The kind of shots I have, it can make an impact in the middle-order,” quoted Dinesh Karthik.

“It is important to make use of the opportunity given to me in the One-dayers. But I don’t want to keep thinking about it and put pressure on myself. The plan is to score runs whenever I get an opportunity. It feels good to score runs for the country. Feels good to be back to be back in the team. The aim is to play the World Cup in 2019,” he added.

On his performances in the Caribbean

Dinesh Karthik was a part of the Indian team that toured the Caribbean recently for the limited overs fixture. In the first opportunity that he got, he failed to make a mark. He covered up for it with a gutsy show in the final ODI to see India romp to a victory.

“I didn’t play well in the first game (the fourth ODI). I was happy I could score in the final match in a winning cause. It was also nice to put up a partnership with Kohli. He is great player to play with, a good judge of a run. He is very positive and vibrant person as well. He also made me feel good. It is also about the impact one has on the team’s overall performance. It is about what I am giving to the team in the bigger cause. This is something I am focusing on presently,” said the veteran batsman.

On Chennai Super Kings

Dinesh Karthik has been a perennial player in the IPL. He played for the Gujarat Lions in the 2017 edition of the IPL. In the next edition, the Chennai Super Kings is set to make a comeback. Dinesh revealed that he would love to play for the CSK if given an opportunity.

“I would love to turn out for my home city. It is just that I have never been picked by CSK. There may be various reasons and it may be part of the franchise’s strategy,” said Karthik.

On neutral venues

The BCCI has been keen on hosting the domestic games at the neutral venues. They have been doing the same in the domestic games since the last couple of seasons. However, Karthik feels that the teams need to play at their home venues since there is a lot of history attached to those home grounds.

“I believe the neutral venues concept is a great effort by BCCI. But I feel teams must play at home and away as there is a lot of history attached to the home ground of every association,” conceded the Tamil Nadu batsman.

On the new Test teams

The ICC recently gave Ireland and Afghanistan the Test status. When asked to comment on the same, Dinesh Karthik believes the addition of the two new teams will help change the dynamics of the Test cricket. He feels that the move will make the Test cricket more interesting.

“It will be very interesting. It has to be seen what kind of domestic set-up they have. In today’s world it is important to keep Test cricket as exciting as possible,” said Karthik.