‘Very keen on taking our state cricket forward’ – Dinesh Karthik lauds team for consistency after lifting Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

‘Very keen on taking our state cricket forward’ – Dinesh Karthik lauds team for consistency after lifting Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Jay Shah presents Dinesh Karthik with Syed Mushtaq Trophy

Jay Shah presents Dinesh Karthik with Syed Mushtaq Trophy
Jay Shah presents Dinesh Karthik with Syed Mushtaq Trophy

After a heartbreaking loss in the final last season, Tamil Nadu bounced back strongly to lift the silverware. The Dinesh Karthik side remained unbeaten in the tournament as they lifted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the second time. Winning the toss, Tamil Nadu opted to bowl first and were on the money right away. Manimaran Siddharth scalped four wickets as Baroda were restricted for a modest 120 runs.

Skipper Karthik is glad to finally get his hands on the trophy after he missed it by a millimetre last season. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman is proud of the way the team has managed to perform consistently. Karthik asserts that the fact that the team is able to produce international cricketers is a testament to the growth of the side.

“Really hurt us last year. We played some really good cricket and we have been pretty consistent throughout. Just the fact that there are players like Natarajan and Washington Sundar in the Indian team, those guys were around last year playing this tournament for us. Just to see those guys go there, I am sure there’ll be a few more going from here. There have been so many good performances throughout the season. We are able to produce cricketers to play for the country, that’s always a sign of a team doing well. You understand your cricket over a period of time,” said Karthik during the post-match presentation.

Everything looks big here

Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium
Motera’s Sardar Patel Stadium

The newly built Motera stadium hosted the knockout stage of the T20 tournament. Karthik is in awe of the brand new stadium and is eager to play an IPL game at the venue. The winning skipper also thanked the support staff for their role in their undefeated streak.

“I am very keen on taking our state cricket forward and playing for the country is always on my mind. This is the biggest stadium in the world. The outfield and the wickets throughout were fantastic. To have an IPL game here is going to be fantastic. Everything looks big here. Support staff have done a great job. We do all the strategies together. I would like to thank Gujarat Cricket Association, for taking care of us really well in the bubble,” he added.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy proved to be a great platform for the young guns to make their case ahead of the IPL auction. Let it be Kerela’s Mohammed Azharuddeen or Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan or Punjab’s Siddharth Kaul, the tournament saw many youngsters step up. The T20 tournament also proved as a perfect opportunity for the aspiring players to impress the national selectors with the 2021 T20 World Cup knocking at the doors.

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