Abhishek Nayar gave away the Khichadia tournament winner's trophy to Swami Vivekanand International School (Borivli) and runners-up award to Rizvi Springfield (Bandra)
Abhishek Nayar with the prize-winning SVIS team at Khar Gymkhana
Former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar felt wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik should have been included in India's T20I squad for the upcoming West Indies tour. Nayar, who is also Karthik's mentor, is convinced that Team India would only benefit from the veteran player's experience.
"He [Karthik] did not have the best of World Cups. In only one game [against New Zealand in the semi-final where he scored six runs in 25 balls] did he get to bat a lot. But, in the T20 format, he has had a good record in the last two years. I believe he deserved a T20 place on the West Indies tour," Nayar, who was chief guest at the prize distribution function of the Bhagubhai Khichadia U-16 inter-school cricket tournament, told mid-day at Khar Gymkhana yesterday.
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Dinesh Karthik
Nayar gave away the Khichadia tournament winner's trophy to Swami Vivekanand International School (Borivli) and runners-up award to Rizvi Springfield (Bandra). When asked if he was disappointed with Karthik's performance at this World Cup, Nayar replied in the negative.
"I am not disappointed about that at all. I am disappointed because of India's defeat in the semis. For a cricketer, failures do happen, sometimes you make mistakes. "But, I believe that the way he went about his batting, trying to stay there at the crease, fighting hard... he was trying to do his job. He couldn't do it. It's okay. I am not someone who only loves results," said Nayar.
Karthik, 34, has played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 32 T20Is and many believe that he may hang up his boots, but Nayar, a former Mumbai skipper and now mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders, felt he wouldn't. "Any cricketer can bounce back. No one believed that he could bounce back two years ago, but he did it," said Nayar.
Also read: IND vs WI: Dinesh Karthik may not tour; Shreyas Iyer set to be picked
Individual prizes
. Best batsman: Karan Suraiya, 347 runs (IES New English School)
. Best bowler: Raghav Ramchandra, 15 wickets (Lakshdham School)
. Best all-rounder: Ayush Jethwa, 340 runs and 14 wickets, (Swami Vivekanand International School)
Also read: World Cup 2019: Dilip Vengsarkar blames lack of Plan B
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