The former Indian wicket-keeper batter, Dinesh Karthik, recently picked up his all-time XI, where he forgot to add the World Cup-winning leader of the Blue Brigade, MS Dhoni, which surprised and disappointed many fans around the globe.
Dinesh Karthik has now apologized to the fans for leaving out the former Indian captain. He also revealed a few of the other names that he failed to mention while picking the team, along with the huge absence of MS Dhoni in the side.
In the latest episode of the show, the Tamil Nadu batter explained the incident which took place, as he forgot to pick the Jharkhand batter. It admitted that it was a genuine mistake from his side, as he had forgotten to add a wicket-keeper batter while making the team.
“I forgot to have a wicket-keeper?”- Dinesh Karthik admits blunder
MS Dhoni is the only captain in the game to win all three ICC trophies, as he started his successful career as the captain of the team, winning the 2007 T20 World Cup before backing it up with the 2011 ODI World Cup and then the 2013 Champions Trophy.
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“Bhai log. Bada galti hogaya (Guys, I have made a big mistake.) Genuinely, it was a mistake. I realized only when the episode came out. There were so many things happening that when I put this 11, I forgot the wicketkeeper.” Dinesh Karthik expressed in the latest show.
The veteran, who took his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) last season, playing his very last game for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), also admitted how he forgot to pick a single wicket-keeper in the side.
“Luckily, Rahul Dravid was there and everybody thought I was going with a part-time wicketkeeper. Bu genuinely, I didn’t think Rahul Dravid was a wicketkeeper, Can you believe being a wicket-keeper I forgot to have a wicketkeeper? It is a blunder.” The 39-year-old remarked.
Dhoni is also the sixth-highest run-getter for India across formats, with over 17000 runs in 535 games at an average of 44.74 and a strike rate of nearly 80, thanks to his 15 centuries and 108 half-centuries. Rahul Dravid is third on the list with 24064 runs for the national side, at an average of 45.57, shouldering on 48 centuries and 145 half-centuries.
Dinesh Karthik later said that without a shadow of a doubt, Dhoni is locked in any format of the game, besides praising him as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He felt that had he got a chance to redo the team, he would have kept the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain at no. 7, besides appointing him as the captain of the side.
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“And for me, let’s be clear. Thala Dhoni is a lock in any format, not only in India. I feel he is one of the greatest cricketers to have ever played the game. If I had to redo that team, one change I would make is Thala Dhoni in at 7. And he will be the captain of any Indian team that is there.” The veteran pointed out.
In his all-time India XI, Karthik has gone with Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma as the two opening players before having Rahul Dravid at number three, followed by two greats of the game- Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Yuvraj Singh and Ravindra Jadeja are the all-rounders of the side. Ravichandran Ashwin and Anil Kumble are in the spin department, while they have the left-arm pace of Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah as the two fast bowlers.