I'm 100 per cent ready to play T20I World Cup: Dinesh Karthik
Kolkata, Apr 20: Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who has been in phenomenal form in this IPL, has not given up on his dream to play for India again and would do "everything he can to be in that flight" to the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies next month.
Karthik, who will turn 39 by the time the World Cup kickstarts on June 1, was also part of the last edition of the T20I World Cup in Australia in 2022, which was also his last appearance for Team India.
Since then he has become an off-the-field cricket expert, involved in commentary stints.
Returning to IPL this season, he has taken his batting to a new level and displayed some astonishing power-hitting to strike at a rate of 205-plus.
He is also the third leading run-getter for RCB with 226 runs, behind Virat Kohli (361) and skipper Faf du Plessis (232).
"At this stage in my life, it would be the greatest feeling for me to represent India. I'm very, very keen to do so. There is nothing bigger in my life other than representing India in this T20 World Cup," the RCB wicketkeeper-batters said ahead of clash against KKR .
With Karthik's also emerging as a contender, the wicketkeeper slot will be a hotly-contested one for which the Team India think tank may pick two at the most.
Making a comeback from a near-fatal accident, Rishabh Pant has also showed positive intent while captaining Delhi Capitals, and Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians), KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants) are also in the fray.
Karthik said he would respect whatever the Big Three -- coach Rahul Dravid, captain Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar -- decide.
"I also feel there are three very, very stable, honest people who are at the helm to decide what should be the best Indian team for the World Cup -- Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar.
"And I'm completely with them. I respect any decision that they take. But all I can say is I'm 100 per cent ready, and I'll do everything I can to be on that flight to the World Cup."
'I'm no Russell or Pollard'
Karthik further emphasised the importance of understanding his strengths as a player, focusing on precision rather than power-hitting like an Andre Russell or Kieron Pollard.
He said he analyses bowlers' patterns to strategise his shots, visualising scenarios during practice to enhance his batting repertoire.
"These days as a player, you need to understand your strengths. I'm not a Russell or a Pollard who can just mishit a ball and get a six for it, rather," said Karthik.
The other day Karthik smashed seven sixes and five fours in his 35-ball 83 in pursuit of a record 288 but eventually RCB fell short by just 25 runs.
"So, I need to understand how I can beat gaps, what sort of balls I can hit for boundaries. And I realised there was a certain pattern in which bowlers were bowling to me, so I needed to try and work out a solution for that.
"Hence, when I practice, I try and understand, okay, if this is what they're going to bowl at me, how am I going to get a boundary, visualising a field that is going to be in place for me.
"So, I worked like that, and I worked backwards, and that helped me, you know, really learn a couple of shots more, at the back end. It's been great to go out there and express myself, and it's been thoroughly enjoyable to do what I'm doing for RCB as a finisher," he added.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
