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Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik recently addressed Ajit Agarkar’s remarks regarding KL Rahul needing to reset to secure his spot in the national team. Karthik empathized with Rahul, highlighting the challenge of such critiques amidst an active international career.
In the Indian squad, renowned all-format stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah stand out. KL Rahul, formerly part of this elite group, faced setbacks, losing his T20I berth.
Despite missing the recent T20 World Cup 2024 selection in the West Indies and the USA, the Karnataka cricketer didn’t feature in T20I tours to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. However, he earned a recall to the ODI squad, notably excelling in the 2023 ODI World Cup with 452 runs across 10 innings, featuring a century and two fifties.
Ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka scheduled from August 3 to 7 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, shared insights as the team prepared for departure. He emphasized that one of the key points of feedback given to KL Rahul was the need to “hit the reset button.”
“KL, one of the feedbacks he has got is ‘you’ve got to hit the reset button’,” Agarkar said.
I’m Not Going To Lie – Dinesh Karthik
During an interview on Cricbuzz’s “Hey CB with DK,” Dinesh Karthik expressed his views on KL Rahul’s situation, acknowledging the challenge of “hitting the reset button.” The former cricketer noted that the feedback given to Rahul is appropriate and emphasized Rahul’s talent, suggesting that minor adjustments in his approach could lead to significant success.
“Feedback for KL Rahul is to hit the reset button, as said by Ajit Agarkar. After losing his spot in the team and captaincy change, how difficult is such a message for a cricketer to take?” a fan asked.
“It is always tough. I’m not going to lie, it is tough. Hitting the reset button in the middle of an international career is not easy, but I think the right message is sent to KL Rahul,” Karthik said in a video shared by Cricbuzz on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“He’s a special player. I believe he’s one of the most talented batters going around in Indian cricket. And if he does change a little bit about how he approaches, he’s going to kill it,” he added.
When questioned about Riyan Parag potentially filling India’s need for a batting all-rounder, Dinesh Karthik opted not to place excessive expectations on him. He mentioned that both Parag and Tilak Varma possess the potential to evolve into exceptionally talented players for Indian cricket.
