Five reasons why we love... Dinesh Karthik

The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman has proved over the past two years that age is little more than a number, dazzling on the field in franchise cricket, earning a recall to the national side, and becoming something of a fashion icon

Dinesh Karthik is enjoying a late-career flourish, and we love to see it.

The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman - a brand ambassador for Rario, creators of the world’s first Cricket NFT platform and The Ultimate Cricket Fan Club - has proved over the past two years that age is little more than a number. Dazzling on the field in franchise cricket, earning a recall to the national side, becoming something of a fashion icon, and entertaining fans everywhere as he makes the transition to the commentary box.

There is a lot to love about the man affectionately known as DK, and here The Cricketer picks out our five favourite reasons.

The hitting 

It could be argued that Karthik never quite fulfilled his potential at international level, but that would be to ignore the explosive entertainment he has brought both to the Indian national team and to his various franchise clubs at home.

When he turns on the fireworks, DK can be very hard to stop. And almost impossible to stop watching as a fan. 

Striking across his T20 career at better than 135 runs per 100 balls, Karthik has delivered numerous memorable innings.

Who can forget his flashbang 65 for Gujarat against Delhi in 2017 - one of his many renaissance seasons, his personal-best 97 not out against Rajasthan in 2019, or his supporting role to Sachin Tendulkar on the day the master blaster made the first ODI double.

Perhaps his most fabled knock, however, lasted just eight balls. It was 2018, Bangladesh were the opponents in the final of the Nidahas Trophy final. India needed 34 off 12 deliveries when he walked to the wicket, but Karthik made light work of a difficult task, hitting 29, including a last-ball six. 

Hero.

You can own many of DK’s best moments in NFT form on the Rario marketplace. 

^{Dinesh Karthik in action for India [Getty Images]}

The diving stumping

We don’t need many words to justify this one, just take a look at the video below from the NatWest series in England in 2004. 

Pure DK gold.

The perseverance

Karthik has been written off by supporters, journalists and pundits so often over the course of his long career, but he has refused to step into the wilderness.

An India debutant as a teenager, it was not until 16 days after his 37th birthday that he scored his first T20 half-century for his country. No one, not even the great MS Dhoni, has reached the landmark older for India. 

He has been doing the selection hokey cokey for a decade and a half - in, out, in, out - but only in his waning years is he starting to shake it all about. 

In his own words, DK is “a finisher, who is yet again far from finished. I will finish it off in my own way."

And his performances in the recent Indian franchise season are proof that he means just that. DK finished with 330 runs for RCB in the recently completed season. No one struck at a better rate than his 183.33 and just one other player averaged more than his 55. 

All this at an age when many cricketers would be thinking about the transition to life after playing. 

It takes a special type of player to force themselves to evolve as the game evolves around them, but Karthik has done just that - his most recent iteration being the death ball-striker who must not come in until at least the 15th over of a T20 innings. 

It may not be that much of a surprise to see DK keeping up with current trends, but it’s just another reason for us to savour him.

^{Karthik at the 2019 World Cup [Getty Images]}

^{Karthik in action in 2004 [Getty Images]}

The dress sense

The colourful shirts, the dapper tunics, the sunglasses, pocket handkerchiefs and ludicrous jumpers… DK’s personal stylings are 100 per cent unique. And they drive fans crazy.

When he rocked up in England for India’s 2021 tour - as part of Sky Sports’ commentary team - he was mocked by his fellow pundits for purportedly arriving with 17 suitcases.

But you’d need that many bags to bring the sheer variety of outfits Karthik showed off over the following three months.

The one man fashion show dazzled in a series of combos which ranged between smart-chic and the outright garish, drawing comments everywhere he went.

Such was his impact, Michael Atherton dedicated an entire analysis segment during the fourth Test to his colleague - not that it was met with much respect by DK himself.

“Athers we have established that you talking about fashion, like a two-year-old talking about astrophysics, just do not go well together,” he joked on air. 

Such was the weight of Karthik’s wardrobe, when eventually it was time to depart the UK in 2021 he had to shell out $1,700 in additional baggage fees on his flight. Now that is a man dedicated to fashion. 

The Giorgio Armani of broadcasting! 🕶️👓👕

We are going to miss you, @DineshKarthik 👍

Style icon @athersmike with the analysis! 😂#ENGvIND 🏏

📺 Watch 👉 https://t.co/N5yEvBmzDs
📱 Live blog 👉 https://t.co/2LY8DKcNvX pic.twitter.com/qSprUcveGG

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 27, 2021

^{Karthik shows off his selection of shirts [Dinesh Karthik/Twitter]}

^{The excess baggage brought to England by Karthik in 2021 [Dinesh Karthik/Twitter]}

The commentary

As if being a terrific batsman, excellent keeper and style icon wasn’t enough, it turns out DK is also an erudite and eloquent commentator, insightful and entertaining all at once.

Not afraid to mix it up in the commentary box, willing to speak his mind about his peers, in possession of a seemingly unlimited number of anecdotes, and blessed with the rare ability to explain the complexities of the game concisely, Karthik will certainly have a long career in the media when eventually he decides he has had enough of the professional game.

Not for the first time, he sees his step into commentary as a way of shifting norms.

"There are a lot of other sports like basketball and football, where current players come on air when they are not playing,” he said.

“So it is a normal thing, it is only in India I think it is considered [to be a post-retirement option only].

"I obviously want to break that stereotype to an extent and I am happy to do that when I am not playing.

"Commentary can be a lot of fun. You need to watch the sport very keenly to contribute in the right manner.”

Now if only we could have DK commentating on a DK innings, then we would be reaching cricketing perfection.

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