"I was abused for saying it's raining, not waking up early" - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik has revealed he was heavily abused on social media during his debut commentary stint at the World Test Championship (WTC) final in Southampton.

The wicketkeeper-batter, who was the only Indian voice apart from Sunil Gavaskar in the rain-affected summit clash, said his famous early-morning 'Weatherman' updates backfired at times.

Dinesh Karthik revealed that thousands of over-enthusiastic fans slurred him for rain or even waking up late.

"'Weatherman' is a very double-edged sword, I'll put it on record. The first day, a lot of praise, the second day, very happy, the third day they started abusing me. I wanted to sleep yaar, I can't wake up every day at 6'o clock to give a weather report.

"They took it too seriously on social media. They started abusing me saying, 'Wake up! What the hell are you doing?' in far more choice words that I can't use on the podcast, just for not waking up, which was hard but you have to live up to their expectations I guess. I got abused for saying it was raining!

"I was like, what is this, the weatherman will only tell you what is happening. I can't make it up so that you are happy! But ya, I guess it goes as a part of the territory," Dinesh Karthik said on the "22 Yarns with Gaurav Kapur" podcast.

The former KKR captain added:

"Two things I got abused for were for saying it's gray and it's raining and the fact that I couldn't wake up early to give the news. And a lot of it, I am talking about thousands of abuses. Not one or two, that I would have let go. Thousands saying 'Wake up, wake the hell up.'"

Dinesh Karthik's revelation comes days after he was in the limelight for a sexist remark on air during the England-Sri Lanka ODI series.

The 36-year-old later apologized for the incident, saying he got a 'lot of stick' from his mother and wife before assuring it wouldn't happen again.

"I was being myself, didn't try to be a hero" - Dinesh Karthik on praise

Thanks so much to whoever decided to do this for me . Very special . Really appreciate it. Haven't had too many even for my batting 😋If you do see this tweet , plz do come and say a hello after the days play #Covidtimes #SocialDistancing https://t.co/S7M4ur3THs

— DK (@DineshKarthik) June 22, 2021

Except for that blip, however, Dinesh Karthik received immense plaudits from the cricket fraternity, including fellow pundits, journalists, and the audience.

He was praised for his insightful yet light-hearted take on the job, which made for a fresh listening experience.

Dinesh Karthik admitted that he didn't expect the extent of the admiration. He said he wasn't trying to be a 'hero' but just himself by simply understanding the nuances of the job and doing his best in it.

"No, definitely not. I had no attention to showing off, I was just being myself, observing the game and speaking about it. And understanding when to speak, that in itself is a challenge as a commentator.

"At the start of a run-up you try and shut up, you don't have to speak after the fifth ball, so many small, small nuances, I was learning all of this and being conscious of it. I wasn't trying to be a hero there or try and say something to make people be like, 'He has come!'. Nothing like that."

Dinesh Karthik will be back on cricketing duties in the upcoming second half of IPL 2021 in the UAE.

But before that, he is slated to commentate on the inaugural edition of The Hundred - the England-based 100-ball completion.