On Independence Day, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik named his all-time India XI. However, netizens are surprised by his choices, and the most shocking omission was the 2011 World Cup-winning skipper. MS Dhoni’s aura and his captaincy record make him an automatic pick whenever any cricket expert names his all-time India XI.
Dinesh Karthik ignores MS Dhoni, picks Rahul Dravid as a Wicket-keeper
However, Dinesh Karthik chose Rahul Dravid as the wicketkeeper, which is quite surprising. Rahul Dravid did part-time wicketkeeping for India, similar to what KL Rahul does these days. However, once MS Dhoni became a regular in the Indian setup, Dravid was no longer seen behind the stumps.
Legends like Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar also didn’t find a place in Dinesh Karthik’s all-time XI. Karthik preferred the opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma, followed by Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli in the batting order.
Yuvraj Singh and Ravindra Jadeja are named as the all-rounders. Dinesh Karthik’s bowling lineup includes two spinners, R Ashwin and Anil Kumble, and two pacers, Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah, with Harbhajan Singh as the 12th man in the squad.
Dinesh Karthik’s All-Time XI: Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Anil Kumble, Jasprit Bumrah, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh (12th man).
Dinesh Karthik hung up his boots from BCCI cricket after completing the IPL 2024 campaign with Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 39-year-old, who had already been working as a commentator, continued in this role during the ongoing The Hundred season.
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Meanwhile, Karthik surprised everyone by announcing his maiden stint in the SA20 league. The Indian keeper will be seen playing in the upcoming season of South Africa’s premier T20 league. Paarl Royals have signed Karthik for the SA20 2024 season, making him the first Indian player to participate in this league. Now that Karthik has retired from BCCI cricket, he is eligible to take part in foreign leagues.