Dinesh Karthik took to social media to express his strong disapproval of Sulakshan Kulkarni’s comments, holding him accountable for blaming captain Sai Kishore after Tamil Nadu’s loss to Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy semifinal.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Karthik condemned Kulkarni’s actions, highlighting the importance of supporting the captain who had led the team to the semifinals after a seven-year hiatus. Karthik emphasized that instead of recognizing this achievement as a positive step for the team, the coach had unjustly criticized both the captain and the entire team.
This is soo WRONG
— DK (@DineshKarthik) March 5, 2024
This is so disappointing from the coach ..instead of backing the captain who has brought the team to the semis after 7 yrs and thinking it's a start for good things to happen, the coach has absolutely thrown his captain and team under the bus
👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽 https://t.co/Ii61X7Ajqs
The controversy stemmed from Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni’s criticism of skipper R Sai Kishore for choosing to bat on a seaming wicket. Sai Kishore’s decision, which surprised many, led to Tamil Nadu struggling at 42/5 within the first session of the match.
Kulkarni’s remarks drew reactions from notable figures in cricket, including R Ashwin and Saurashtra’s Jaydev Unadkat. Despite the challenging conditions, Tamil Nadu failed to recover and posted low totals of 146 and 162 in their innings, resulting in Mumbai’s advancement to the Ranji Trophy final for the 48th time.
Explaining his perspective to the media after the match, Kulkarni revealed his pre-match apprehensions upon observing the nature of the wicket. He expressed his belief that the pitch favored seam bowling, indicating the challenge his team would face and the necessity for exceptional performance to secure victory.
Hello from Mumbai 👋
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) March 2, 2024
Tamil Nadu have won the toss and elected to bat against Mumbai in Semi Final 2.@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/697JfqUC9i pic.twitter.com/tJ56vYahly
“I always speak straightforward we lost the match at 9’o clock on Day One. Everything was set, we won the toss, as a coach, as a Mumbaikar, I know the conditions well. We should have bowled but the captain had some different instinct.
“Ultimately he is the boss. I can give my feedback and inputs (as to) what kind of wickets and Mumbai’s mindset also. (From) 106/7, I knew before the match that this (Mumbai’s fightback) may happen.”