The change within: How Karthik got back to his best

The 37-year-old is making all the right moves, on and off the field

Dinesh Karthik is 37 and at this age, most cricketers know they don’t have much time left in the game. It’s the stage of your career when you begin to pick the ball a split second late, the reflexes slow down and the highest level that can spell doom.

Dinesh Karthik (PTI)

For someone who has made a fortune from the game in IPL contracts, Karthik can very well go into the sunset without worry. After three seasons of R7.40 crore each from 2019 to 2021 with KKR, he was picked for R5.50 crore by RCB ahead of this season. Not to mention, his earlier contracts of R12.5 crore with Delhi Daredevils (2014 auction) and of R10.5 crore with Royal Challengers Bangalore (2015 auction).

There, one might argue, was simply nothing to prove. But as a sportsman, he wants to test the limits of his ability before he hangs up his boots. And that is where pride comes into the picture. It’s the ego of a champion. Overshadowed in his prime by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Tamil Nadu player has set his mind on having a different end to his cricket story.

On the back of a sterling IPL season, he has won his place back in the India T20 team in May 2022 for the first time since February 2019. Now, he has set his sights on winning a berth in India’s team for the T20 World Cup in October-November and having a good Asia Cup T20 tournament starting this weekend is the final selection test.

He caught the attention of the selectors with some blazing knocks for RCB in the T20 league, scoring 330 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 183.33 with 27 fours and 22 sixes, getting most of his runs when the heat was on during a chase or the slog overs. Simply put: he has never batted better. It’s been the result of hours of hard work.

“It’s basically, not only about this year but the past six years the kind of process that we have followed, in terms of what we want to achieve and we managed to hit those goals more often than not," said KKR’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar with whom Karthik has been training with for a while. "We had a discussion and we spoke about certain things. What came out of it was we had to try to get together and help achieve his dream to play for India and win a World Cup. A lot of people didn’t believe in that, even he didn’t initially. But I think given the kind of processes and routines that we had, he slowly started to believe that it is possible if he put in the hard yards."

His batting was refreshing to watch as he pulled off remarkable chases in the IPL. Showing fine composure under pressure, in his first three games of the tournament, he provided proof that he had added a new gear to his game with scores of 32* (14) versus Punjab Kings; 14* (7) versus KKR and 44* (23) versus Rajasthan Royals. Against Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, batting first, he smashed 34-ball 66* and 8-ball 30* to help set up winning totals.

Instead of brute power, the bowlers were dismantled with cheeky play. He danced around in the crease to hit sweeps, reverse sweeps and scoops.

It’s all about taking calculated risks, said Karthik, while explaining his approach during the IPL: “I made a conscious effort this year to do justice to myself because the last year, I felt I could have done better. The way I trained was much better this time around. Credit to the person who trained with me. I'm making a conscious effort to tell myself that I'm not done yet. I train for these situations. Stay calm and know whom you can take down. I think T20 cricket, it's mostly premeditating but you also need to be clear about where and who to target.”

Nayar says: “We worked on a few things in his batting, technically sorting a few things out which gave him more flair to his game and more dimensions to his game. From then (IPL) and till now, also consciously trying to stay in the process of what we have done in the past, and not worry so much whether he plays for India or he gets an opportunity.”

For most T20 specialists, the role of a finisher is set – they are sent into the middle with specific target of playing a certain number of balls. It’s about, just go and attack. Karthik is used to the high-pressure role, but he is more versatile and has the game to play a long innings. That is where he is different from a Kieron Pollard or Andre Russell.

“If you notice he went into bat early against South Africa in India (27-ball 55 in 4th T20 at Rajkot) and he got runs, then he has gone late and got runs," said Nayar. "So we have tried not to get him into a mindset where he is only thinking as a finisher. Yes, he wants to finish games but it doesn’t mean he has to do it only in the last four overs. I feel in his head he is very open to what the team requires him to do.”

The clarity of thought has come through the work done on the game. When the basics are solid, the batter is able to execute his strokes well. Being in control naturally lifts the confidence of the player.

But one of the challenges is that Karthik is an over-thinker. Nayar, however, says it is also something that is good about him.

“Everyone knew DK as a guy who overthinks, yes he overthinks but you can always get someone to think slightly lesser or structure their thought process but it is very difficult to get someone who doesn’t think to think, it is a much harder process.”

In India’s first-ever T20 international (played in Dec 2006), against South Africa at Johannesburg, Karthik was the man of the match. To be part of the India team at the age of 37 years, you need to be either a legend like MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar or a player whose desire to play for the country is second to none.