With IPL only 3 weeks away the teams are fine-tuning their skills and sweating it out while adjusting for IPL 2020. The 13th edition will be contested between September 19- November 10 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two-time IPL champions the Kolkata Knight Riders will again be a major contender to reach the IPL playoffs this year.
Wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik will once again be in command of the popular IPL franchise. Recently popular commentator Aakash Chopra confessed that if Dinesh Karthik wants to feature in India’s 2021 T20 World Cup squad, he will have to perform in the next two IPL seasons.
Karthik should bat at 4 for KKR – Aakash Chopra
Recently in a Q&A session on his Facebook page, Chopra was asked about the possibility of Karthik playing in the next T20 world cup in India. To which he stated that Karthik will have to make plenty of runs while batting higher up the order for his IPL franchise. With the likes of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul being the front runners for the wicket-keeper spot in the Indian side, Karthik has his work cut out.
Chopra explained, “I feel what you are saying is correct. He (Dinesh Karthik) can definitely come back. But whether he will be able to do so?”.
He added, “First thing is he should bat up the order for KKR. Because he bats too low down the order and when you bat so low, then your turn doesn’t come. So he has to bat up the order so that he can make a lot of runs. Otherwise, if he bats at No.5 even when he is the captain of an IPL team, he will not have that many runs so that he can stake a claim”.
“Yes, he does well as a keeper. But don’t forget that at the moment the Indian team has KL Rahul as well apart from Rishabh Pant. So, if Dinesh Karthik wants to get a spot in the Indian team for the 2021 World Cup, then he will have to play two good IPLs”.
“And in my opinion, he will have to somehow manage to bat at No.4 in which case he can come in the team, there is no doubt about it”, Chopra said about Dinesh Karthik.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik for the third time in his career will be leading KKR in the IPL. Last year KKR narrowly missed out on a playoffs birth as they finished 5th in the table. The entire KKR squad are currently based in Abu Dhabi and will soon commence their outdoor training preparing for the upcoming IPL season.
