"You can never rule out a player of his caliber" - Dinesh Karthik believes a break would do Virat Kohli a world of good

Team India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has backed Virat Kohli to come back stronger following a sizeable break from the sport.

Karthik's comments add to the support Kohli has received from the management and teammates amid the constant outside noise.

The former Indian skipper had a woeful tour of England, tallying a mere 78 runs in seven innings across all formats. Kohli continued to fall prey to the fourth or fifth stump channel, with the dreadful outside edge being responsible for the majority of his dismissals.

Opining that a break would help Kohli return to his best, Dinesh Karthik said at the PS Sports Excellence Arena in Jaipur:

"Virat has experienced insane success over the period of time. Now he will get a good break and will come back all recharged and hopefully will do phenomenally well. You can never rule out a player of his caliber."

Kohli has been rested for the entirety of the upcoming tour of the West Indies comprising of three ODIs and five T20Is.

Karthik, who played alongside the 33-year-old in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, made a strong comeback after being down and out at one stage. The wicket-keeper batter has staked a claim in the Indian squad at the age of 37 on the back of solid campaigns in domestic and franchise cricket.

Admitting that it is difficult to break into the playing XI given the talent India has, Karthik said:

"It is never easy, but I have worked hard for it. Also, given the bench strength that we have today, the competition is always going to be a part of it. This is the beauty of Indian cricket."

The Tamil Nadu-born player earned a recall to the Indian squad after three years following an exceptional IPL 2022 campaign with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He has featured in T20I series against South Africa, Ireland, and England so far and could be on the shortlist for the T20 World Cup squad.

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"Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma have taken everyone along as we prepare for the big event" - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik has come a long way since featuring in India's first-ever T20 contest against South Africa in 2007. He is now on the precipice of representing India in the 2022 T20 World Cup as a member of the playing XI.

Claiming that the environment in the dressing room is "very positive", Karthik concluded:

"As a team, we are preparing for the challenges we will have to face during the upcoming World Cup. Coach Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma have taken everyone along as we prepare for the big event. It is a very positive environment."

Karthik will next be seen in action during the five-match T20I series against the West Indies, beginning July 29.