Dinesh Karthik reveals of turning into ‘Chameleon’ due to MS Dhoni’s success

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik recently opened up about how his long-standing teammate and legendary skipper MS Dhoni’s success forced him to evolve like a chameleon. Karthik explained how Dhoni’s success influenced his own career, leading him to seek roles anywhere in the XI.

Notably, the Tamil Nadu-born made his international debut three months before Dhoni in 2004. But once Dhoni burst onto the scene, he rapidly adapted to an unconventional method that produced immediate results. Karthik recalled an A tour in Kenya, where teammates spoke about a hitter whose six-hitting was being mentioned in similar lines as Sir Garfield Sobers. 

“I hadn’t seen him play much. But during that A series in Kenya, everyone was talking about one player, because he brought something new. The power with which he hit the ball was something people said they hadn’t seen before. Some were even comparing him to Gary Sobers, known for those massive sixes. MS Dhoni had a very different technique, but he was hitting the ball as hard as anyone people had ever witnessed. That was the buzz at the time,” said Karthik at the India Today Conclave South 2025.

MS Dhoni taught me a lot: Dinesh Karthik

At that time, India was relying on Rahul Dravid as a part-time wicketkeeper, something Dravid himself wished to move away from to protect his primary batting responsibilities. Following this the team searched for a specialist keeper-batter, while Karthik had brief chances, but the lead role soon belonged to Dhoni.

“Back then, India were using Rahul Dravid as the wicketkeeper. But Dravid had reached a point where he said, ‘Boss, I just want to focus on my batting. My body’s going through a lot trying to keep wickets.’ So the team started looking for a proper wicketkeeper. I stepped in briefly like a guest appearance in a movie. But the lead role was always meant for Dhoni. And when he arrived, he didn’t just impress India, he completely swept everyone off their feet. Very soon, he was making waves in international cricket as well,” added Karthik.

Meanwhile, the 40-year-old repeatedly accepted roles many shy away from, especially the finisher position at No. 6 or 7, a responsibility he took up brilliantly across the last five years of his career. He credits Dhoni with teaching him about how to read the game, back strengths, and find clarity under pressure.

“When someone like that comes along, you need to look inward and ask yourself: What can I do to bring out the best version of myself? So I became a bit like a chameleon. If there was an opening slot available, I’d go back to Tamil Nadu and ask, Sir, can I open? I’d score runs as an opener just to find a place in the team. Similarly, if there was a vacancy in the middle order for India, I’d request to bat there — always looking for ways to break into the side. But my real challenge was holding on to that spot. I put so much pressure on myself that, at times, I didn’t do justice to what was really needed. Through that journey, I learned the importance of adapting to whatever is thrown at you — but even more importantly, the need for determination and resilience. I constantly did things that were uncomfortable for most players — like batting at No. 6 or 7 for the last five years of my career. But I embraced that role and used my strengths to succeed in it. MS Dhoni taught me a lot often in ways that weren’t direct, but deeply impactful,” he concluded.

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