"I Became A Chameleon": Dinesh Karthik Opens Up On Competition With MS Dhoni

A truly versatile cricketing talent, Dinesh Karthik could fulfil many roles in the Indian team. Before his retirement from international cricket, Karthik did wonders as a finisher in T20Is and was also as reliable as one can be behind the stumps. While the end of Karthik's cricketing career saw the world see the potential that he had, the start was quite abrupt. Just as Karthik thought he would cement his place in the Indian team as a wicket-keeper, in came MS Dhoni, who 'swept everyone off their feet'.

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Karthik, despite being a consistent performer in different formats, couldn't match up to the strong performances that Dhoni had started to show. In an interview, Karthik opened up on the early competition with Dhoni that derailed his career. Despite being replace by the former India captain, Karthik had nothing but respect for what Dhoni brought to the table.

"Back then, India were using Rahul Dravid as the wicketkeeper. But Dravid had reached a point where he said, 'Boss, I just want to focus on my batting. My body's going through a lot trying to keep wickets.' So the team started looking for a proper wicketkeeper. I stepped in briefly like a guest appearance in a movie. But the lead role was always meant for Dhoni. And when he arrived, he didn't just impress India, he completely swept everyone off their feet. Very soon, he was making waves in international cricket as well," said Karthik at India Today Conclave South 2025.

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"I hadn't seen him play much. But during that A series in Kenya, everyone was talking about one player, because he brought something new. The power with which he hit the ball was something people said they hadn't seen before. Some were even comparing him to Gary Sobers, known for those massive sixes. MS Dhoni had a very different technique, but he was hitting the ball as hard as anyone people had ever witnessed. That was the buzz at the time," he added.

If not for Dhoni, Karthik might have gone on to create a bigger legacy in Indian cricket. Seeing Dhoni make the wicket-keeper's role his own, Karthik revealed that he started to explore other roles in the Indian, be it as an opening batter or in the middle order. Hence, Dhoni's arrival turned him into a 'chameleon' of sorts.

"When someone like that comes along, you need to look inward and ask yourself: What can I do to bring out the best version of myself? So I became a bit like a chameleon. If there was an opening slot available, I'd go back to Tamil Nadu and ask, Sir, can I open? I'd score runs as an opener just to find a place in the team. Similarly, if there was a vacancy in the middle order for India, I'd request to bat there - always looking for ways to break into the side. But my real challenge was holding on to that spot. I put so much pressure on myself that, at times, I didn't do justice to what was really needed," Karthik said.

"Through that journey, I learned the importance of adapting to whatever is thrown at you - but even more importantly, the need for determination and resilience. I constantly did things that were uncomfortable for most players - like batting at No. 6 or 7 for the last five years of my career. But I embraced that role and used my strengths to succeed in it. MS Dhoni taught me a lot often in ways that weren't direct, but deeply impactful," he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Dinesh Karthik MS Dhoni Cricket