IND VS SA: Dinesh Karthik ends 16-year wait, records maiden T20I fifty

Dinesh Karthik registered their maiden Twenty20 International (T20I) half-century during India's fourth T20I against South Africa on Friday.

It was a long wait since 2006 when Karthik made his T20I debut with Team India just ahead of the inaugural T20 World Cup.

After being asked to bat at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, India lost three wickets inside seven overs. At 81 for 4, Karthik walked in to bat and joined Hardik Pandya in the middle.

Karthik and Pandya put up crucial 65 runs for the fifth wicket and brought India's innings back on the track. Karthik, who had a fine run with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, struck nine fours and two sixes in his knock of 55 off 27 deliveries.

Prior to this, Karthik's highest T20I score was 48, which he had recorded in India's first-ever T20I in 2006. Coincidentally the game was against South Africa in Johannesburg, which India won by six wickets and Karthik was named the Player of the Match.

Notably, Karthik is the only player from the current team to have played the said game in Johannesburg 16 years ago. During the innings break in Rajkot, Karthik said that even though he feels old, referring to being a part of India's first T20I side in 2006, he also feels "good that I'm alive and kicking and playing some cricket here."

Dinesh Karthik: Feels good to be still playing cricket after 16 years

"With how India were placed at 10 overs, it was important in the scheme of things, so I was very happy with what we did today. I believed that we could get 80-85 in the last 7 overs. I was thinking how to do it. You got to capitalize on certain overs, take some risks. Risks are something you need to accept and absorb in T20 cricket, so I was trying to weigh my options and figure out what to do," said Karthik after India posted 169 for 6 in 20 overs.

When he was asked about still playing for India after 16 years since the team's maiden T20I outing, Karthik said," Whenever the question is asked, I feel old for a start, but apart from that it feels good to play the first-ever T20 for India; complete different generations. I read somewhere that out of both those teams 21 have retired out of the 22 have retired. So it feels good that I am alive and kicking and playing some cricket here."

The 37-year-old Karthik has now played 36 T20Is for India, apart from 26 Tests and 94 ODIs.

Meanwhile, even Hardik registered their highest T20I score on Friday. The Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper scored a 31-ball 46, including three sixes and three fours. He bettered his previous highest score of an unbeaten 42, which he scored against Australia in Sydney in 2020.

India are currently 1-2 down in the ongoing five-match series against South Africa, with the fourth game currently underway.