Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik (DK) played his first game for Team India in three years after featuring in the T20I series opener against South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday. While Dinesh Karthik didn't get much time in the middle as he faced only two deliveries in India's innings, remaining not out on 1, his comeback to the Rishabh Pant-led side was celebrated like a festival on social media.

“Seeing DK back in India colours has been so emotional. Should never have been dropped from this format,” a fan wrote on Twitter.

“What a ride it has been for Dinesh Karthik, dropped from wrong format after 2019 World Cup, grinded so hard in domestics, won trophies for Tamil Nadu, did commentary for Sky in the last summer then after having a great IPL 2022 & now, making his return to ICT after 3 long years,” another said on the micro-blogging platform.

A third declared: “Wayne Parnell and Dinesh Karthik playing in a T20I, my time machine works!”

“This is Dinesh Karthik..when Hardik Pandya was a roadside chhapri,” a fourth claimed.

“Dinesh Karthik remember the name. Welcome back DK, you are inspiration for everyone, hard work always pays,” a fifth said.

https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1534913355860811777

Meanwhile, vice-captain Hardik Pandya was slammed for denying Dinesh Karthik a single in the final over of the Indian innings, with a section of fans questioning his attitude.

“Hardik Pandya denying Dinesh Karthik the strike on the last ball as if DK is a tailender,” a Dinesh Karthik admirer stated on Twitter.

“Didnt like the way Hardik Pandya denied strike to Dinesh Karthik..Com'on man he isnt a bowler. Probably he is one of best and most experienced finisher,” mentioned a supporter.

“Hardik Pandya refused to take a single on the penultimate ball of the 20th over even when Dinesh Karthik was the at the other end. Wooooo!” a journalist summed up.

Dinesh Karthik returned to the Indian cricket team after having an incredible season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Karthik was the main man behind RCB’s run to the playoffs after he secured seven wins for them in their initial twelve matches, having scored 274 runs for Faf du Plessis' side at an extraordinary strike rate of 200 and a highly impressive average of 68.50.

His clean striking became the talk of the competition, leading to his comparisons with the legendary MS Dhoni who is widely regarded as the “greatest finisher” the sport has ever seen.

The 37-year-old eventually finished the cash-rich league with 330 runs in 16 games with the highest score of 66 not out and a superb strike rate of 183.33.

Due to his quick-fire knocks in the elite T20 tournament, Dinesh Karthik was named the ‘Super Striker of the Season’, becoming the first Indian in the 15-year history of the IPL to claim the prestigious award.

His spectacular show in the IPL has even impressed the likes of Harbhajan Singh and current Team India head coach Rahul Dravid who have both backed him to be a part of the national squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

“Dinesh Karthik has been outstanding for RCB. He is very good at leg side shots than his off-sides, excellent at taking singles but I think, overall he understands his game very well. Whenever he is left with last chances, he makes sure that he finishes the game,” Harbhajan Singh said on Star Sports.

“For me, if anyone has played the best role of a finisher in this entire IPL then it is none other than Dinesh Karthik. If I were a selector I would have given him a ticket to Australia for World Cup T20 and let him play for India as wicketkeeper and batsman because he deserves that,” Harbhajan added.

Rahul Dravid, meanwhile, emphasised that Dinesh Karthik was selected in the Indian cricket team to do a specific job at a particular position in the batting line and he should now deliver on his promise.

“With Dinesh it is pretty obvious and very clear. He has made a comeback based on the skills that he has shown in a particular phase of the game. The phase of the game that Dinesh, at the back-end, has really been able to show skills over the last two or three years, he has been able to be a point of difference for whichever team that he has played,” Rahul Dravid said in a press conference a few days before India's first T20I against the Proteas in Delhi.

“I see that as no different (in Team India). That's why he has been picked. He has been picked to bat in that kind of position, and see whether he can replicate those kind of performance for India as well,” Dravid concluded.