Chennai Super Kings is my home team. I would love to play for them, says Dinesh Karthik

What's the story?

Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has admitted that he will be happy if Chennai Super Kings pick him in the next IPL auction. Karthik, who is playing for Albert Tuti Patriots in the ongoing TNPL, revealed that it brings a smile to his face when he speaks about CSK.

Speaking to the TNPL website in an exclusive interview, Karthik said, "whenever I speak about CSK it brings a smile to my face. It's my home team. I would love to play for them but it also depends on the team composition, I'm sure they have so many coaches preparing for the auction. If by luck I get into the team nothing like it, I'll keep my fingers crossed for the auction."

In case you didn't know...

Karthik was a part of the Indian team that toured West Indies for a five-match ODI series and a one-off T20I and was also drafted in the Indian side for the ICC Champions Trophy that took place before Virat Kohli and his men flew to the Caribbean islands.

After having a decent outing in the West Indian islands, Karthik took a brief break before he headed to play in the TNPL for the defending champions. In the two matches he played so far, he scored a duck and remained unbeaten on 47 off just 28 balls.

Details

Almost all the Tamil Nadu players (S Badrinath, R Ashwin, Murali Vijay and Abhivan Mukund), who have represented India have represented CSK in the IPL. But, the same cannot be said of Karthik as the wicketkeeper-batsman has played for five franchises, a list that doesn't include the team from his home town.

He started off with Delhi Daredevils before playing for Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions in the last ten seasons.

He wasn't picked by the team management in the previous auctions as they already have MS Dhoni to don the glove and at the same time, Karthik was one of the most sought-after players in the auction.

What's next?

The eleventh edition of the IPL is set to witness a fresh set of auction taking place and in all likelihood, it will have over 500 players going under the hammer. The IPL governing council is yet to give an update on the retention rule.

Irrespective of the retention policies, Karthik will have a new home in 2018 as Gujarat Lions, his team in the 2017 IPL won't be a part of the tournament next year.

Author's Take

Every Indian player wants to play for his home team in the IPL. Dinesh Karthik isn't an exception in this. So, it is obvious that he wants to play for the Men in Yellow in the IPL.