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'Been around for many years but this was the first time...': Karthik wins hearts with emotional post on India captaincy
India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik reacted to leading the team during a warm-up game against Derbyshire on Friday.
Dinesh Karthik captained India for the first time in his international career in the warm-up T20 match against Derbyshire on Monday, leading a similar outfit to the one which won the series against Ireland 2-0 last week. While Karthik has led Tamil Nadu and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past, this was the first time he got the opportunity to captain an Indian team in his 18-year long career.
Following the match, a 7-wicket win, Karthik took to Twitter to express his pride and gratitude at having been given that opportunity. Karthik said, "Have been around for many years but this was the first time I led the team in blue. Even though it was a warm-up game, it felt special and a great honour."
Karthik led the side against Derbyshire in a match played at the County Ground in Derby, where he won the toss against opposing skipper Shan Masood of Pakistan. After choosing to chase, India's bowlers restricted their hosts to 150-8, thanks to 2 wickets each from Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik.
India then comfortably went on to chase down the target with 20 balls to spare, thanks to the man-in-form Deepak Hooda, who scored a half-century, and Suryakumar Yadav.
It was a successful first match in charge for Karthik, and while it's not an official match, it speaks to the belief the management has in him as a senior player and a leader of the team that he was trusted to get the job done. Karthik left captaincy of KKR halfway through the 2021 season, but KKR did well in the second half under Eoin Morgan, before Karthik moved to RCB and had a renaissance under Far du Plessis.
Karthik concluded by saying "Big thanks to all who have always supported and for the wishes. Proud of being a part of this team."
He will once again lead the second team in a warm-up match against Northamptonshire, after which they will begin to prepare for the first T20I against England on July 7. The members of the Test squad will return for the rest of that series, but Karthik's strong white-ball form should mean he will keep his slot at number 6 in those matches as well.
