IND v SA, 4th T20I: I am feeling very secure in this setup, says DK

TIL Desk Sports/ In India’s first-ever T20I match against South Africa at Johannesburg in December 2006, Dinesh Karthik too made his T20I debut. In that match, Karthik had made an unbeaten 31 and bagged the Player of the Match award.

Now, 16 years later, in Rajkot, Karthik notched up his first half-century in the format, blistering 27-ball 55, hitting nine fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 203.7. He was also involved in a crucial 65-run stand-off with 33 balls with Hardik Pandya to set up India’s 82-run thrashing of South Africa and take the series to a cracking finale on Sunday.

“Just feels good. I am feeling very secure in this setup. In the last game, things didn’t go according to plan, but I went and expressed myself today. I think (veteran) DK is thinking a little better. He is able to assess situations better and that comes with practice, planning and experience,” said Karthik after he was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’.