CHENNAI: Dinesh Karthik‘s leadership skills came to the fore at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) which Tamil Nadu won after a gap of 14 years.
In a chat with TOI, Karthik reflected on the tournament where TN remained unbeaten, how he looks at the coming months and more.
Excerpts:
How do you assess TN’s overall performance at the SMAT?
The quality of the tournament is top-notch and players doing well in this get picked for the IPL and even have a chance to play for the national side. So, it’s an extremely important tournament. Doing well despite not having some big names shows that our bench strength is strong. We played a good brand of cricket even in the previous edition of SMAT but lost to a star-studded Karnataka team in the final. Despite the loss it was a start of something special and I am happy with how things have turned out in this edition.
What according to you has been the biggest factor in TN winning the event?
I thought players who were picked fitted into the roles given to them beautifully. Almost everyone in this team contributed to the team’s cause and that’s what makes a good team.
What’s been your role in this team?
My role is to make sure that we follow the processes that have been laid out. I look to guide the youngsters in the team and help them achieve their goals. I don’t try to bat more balls but look at how things can be made simpler for the batsmen who are going to come next.
Talk to us about the emergence of B Aparajith — the all-rounder — in this tournament?
I have always believed that Aparajith has a lot to offer for us in all formats of the game. He is someone who has a balanced head and is able to absorb pressure very well be it in batting or bowling. He understands the game and reacts to different situations well. I knew he would do the job for us with the ball and he performed the role brilliantly.
How difficult was it to leave M Siddharth for a majority of the tournament considering that he did so well in the previous edition of this tournament?
He was always in the mix for us. He is a gun player who has a terrific attitude and works very hard on his game. The team combination was such that we couldn’t go with three spinners but the opportunity came in the final and we brought him in. What a final he had.
Now that you have successfully led TN to their second SMAT title, would we see you back at the helm in KKR?
I honestly have not thought on those lines. There was a reason I gave up the captaincy (in the last edition of IPL) and I would just let things be where they are.
For you personally, what will the target going ahead in the season?
We have back-to-back World Cups coming. I know that if I do well in the IPL, I will have a great chance at being part of them.