Dinesh Karthik criticized Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni for publicly disagreeing with captain Kishore’s decision and lack of support after the Ranji Trophy semi-final loss.
Dinesh Karthik, the veteran wicket-keeper batter, took to social media to express his disappointment with the public criticism directed towards Tamil Nadu captain Sai Kishore by coach Sulakshan Kulkarni following their Ranji Trophy semi-final loss to Mumbai.
Kulkarni, in his post-match comments, hinted at his disapproval of Kishore’s decision to bat first on a seaming wicket.
“We lost the match at nine o’clock on day one.” He further elaborated on his concerns, revealing he had anticipated the pitch’s difficulty and suggested bowling first. The moment I saw the wicket, I exactly knew what we were going to get,” he said.
Karthik, in a strongly worded tweet on X (Twitter), criticized Kulkarni’s approach, highlighting the importance of supporting the captain.
“This is so disappointing from the coach… instead of backing the captain who has brought the team to the semis after 7 years and thinking it’s a start for good things to happen, the coach has absolutely thrown his captain and team under the bus,” Karthik wrote.
This is soo WRONG
— DK (@DineshKarthik) March 5, 2024
This is so disappointing from the coach ..instead of backing the captain who has brought the team to the semis after 7 yrs and thinking it's a start for good things to happen, the coach has absolutely thrown his captain and team under the bus
👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽 https://t.co/Ii61X7Ajqs
Kishore’s decision to bat first surprised many, including R Ashwin and Saurashtra’s Jaydev Unadkat. Tamil Nadu’s batting faltered on the challenging surface, collapsing to 42/5 in the first session. They were eventually bundled out for 146 and 162 in their two innings, allowing Mumbai to cruise to the finals for the 48th time in the tournament’s history.
However, Kulkarni acknowledged Kishore’s ultimate authority as captain and conceded, “Ultimately he is the boss. I can give my feedback and inputs (as to) what kind of wickets and Mumbai’s mindset also. (From) 106/7, I knew before the match that this (Mumbai’s fightback) may happen.”
This public disagreement between the coach and captain cast a shadow over Tamil Nadu’s commendable run to the semi-finals and raised questions about the team’s leadership dynamics.
Last Updated on March 5, 2024
