IND vs SA: Dinesh Karthik became Player of the Match for the third time in T20 career
IND vs SA: India beat South Africa by a huge margin of 82 runs in the 4th T20I. With this win, Team India has leveled the five-match T20I series by 2-2.
37-year-old Dinesh Karthik played an important innings for India in the fourth match. Thanks to his innings, India put up a competitive score. Karthik also received the Player of the Match award for his innings.
IND vs SA: India came out to bat after losing the toss :-
Batting first after losing the toss, India had scored only 81 runs in 13 overs at one time and lost four wickets. Rituraj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and captain Rishabh Pant had returned to the pavilion. After this, Karthik along with Hardik Pandya took over the innings of Team India. Both shared a 65-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
IND vs SA: The African bowling lineup was blown away by Dinesh Karthik’s storm :-
Pandya was dismissed after scoring 46 runs. After this, Karthik changed gear and played a stormy innings of 55 runs in 27 balls. He hit nine fours and two sixes in his innings. During this his strike rate was 203.70.
Karthik has been playing T20 for 16 years. In these 16 years, he has played 36 T20s, but this was Karthik’s first half-century.
Earlier, Karthik’s highest individual score was 31 runs :-
Earlier, Karthik’s highest individual score was 31 runs, which he scored in 2006. It was also India’s first T20 match. Dinesh Karthik has become the player of the match only thrice in his T20 career spanning 16 years. These three matches were important or rather do or die matches for India. Dinesh Karthik won the match for Team India on his own in these three matches.
Karthik won the first Man of the Match in T20 :-
Karthik won the first player of the match award in his first T20 International. This was also India’s first T20 match. Interestingly, India also played its first T20 against South Africa.
This match was played in Johannesburg on 1 December 2006. Then Team India was on African tour. Before T20, India played four ODIs against South Africa. South Africa won the ODI series 3-0.
After this, the only T20 was to be played between India and the African team. Team India landed on the field under the captaincy of Virender Sehwag. Batting first, South Africa scored 126 for nine in 20 overs.
In reply, India had achieved the target in 19.5 overs for four wickets. Dinesh Karthik scored an unbeaten 31 off 28 balls with the help of three fours and a six.
Dinesh Karthik finished the match with Suresh Raina :-
He along with Suresh Raina led Team India to a six-wicket victory. Apart from Karthik, Sehwag scored 34 runs and Dinesh Mongia scored 38 runs. Karthik received the Man of the Match award for his innings.
Dinesh Karthik won the second player of the match award in T20 International in 2018 :-
Dinesh Karthik won the second player of the match award in T20 Internationals in 2018. This match was the final match of Nidahas Trophy. Three teams participated in the Nidahas Trophy. The Sri Lankan team was knocked out of the final. Bangladesh had a challenge in front of India. The final was played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Bangladesh had scored 166 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs.
In reply, India made 133 runs in 18 overs for the loss of five wickets. Team India needed 34 runs to win in the last two overs. Then Vijay Shankar was present along with Dinesh Karthik at the crease.
In the 19th over, Rubel Hossain’s three balls, Karthik hit two sixes and a four. After this, a four was also hit on the last ball. In the 19th over, Karthik scored 22 runs and brought Team India back in the match.
Team India had to score 12 runs in the last over to win :-
In the last over, Team India had to score 12 runs to win. Soumya Sarkar was bowling while Vijay Shankar was on strike. Three runs came off the first three balls. Vijay hit a four off the fourth ball.
Vijay Shankar was out on the fifth ball. Then it was a rule that the player standing at the non-striker’s end could bat if the strike was rotated at the time of the catch.
In such a situation, Karthik came on strike. Team India needed five runs on the last ball to win. Karthik hit a six off the last ball of Soumya Sarkar and gave Team India an incredible victory. Dinesh Karthik then became the fifth player to win a match by hitting a six off the last ball in T20 Internationals.
Karthik remained unbeaten on 29 off eight balls. He hit two fours and three sixes in his innings. For this, Karthik awarded the Player of the Match title for the second time.
IND vs SA: India scored 169 runs in Friday’s match against South Africa :-
Batting first in Friday’s match against South Africa, India scored 169 for six in 20 overs. Karthik scored 55 runs in 27 balls with the help of nine fours and two sixes.
India added 73 runs in the last five overs, thanks to Karthik’s quick knock. In reply, South Africa restricted to their lowest T20I score.
IND vs SA: African team piled up on 87 runs :-
The African team could only score 87 runs and India won the match by 82 runs. This was Team India’s biggest win against South Africa in terms of runs in T20. For India, Avesh Khan took four and Chahal took two wickets.
However, Karthik got the Player of the Match award for his brilliant innings. Karthik has shown with this innings that even at the age of 37, he has cricket left in him. Karthik can prove to be India’s X-factor in the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia this year.