Keen on taking our state cricket forward: Karthik after SMAT win

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], February 1 (ANI): After winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020-21, Tamil Nadu skipper Dinesh Karthik said that he is very keen on taking cricket forward in the state and he also highlighted how Tamil Nadu has been successful in producing international cricketers.
Tamil Nadu defeated Baroda by seven wickets in the finals of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Sunday to win the title. Baba Aparajith played an unbeaten knock of 29 runs to guide Tamil Nadu in the run-chase of 121 runs.
Dinesh Karthik's side had suffered a loss to Karnataka in the finals of 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but the side managed to pass the final hurdle in the current edition.
"Really hurt us last year. We played some really good cricket and we have been pretty consistent throughout. Just the fact that there are players like Natarajan and Washington Sundar in the Indian team, those guys were around last year playing this tournament for us. Just to see those guys go there, I am sure there'll be a few more going from here. There have been so many good performances throughout the season. We are able to produce cricketers to play for the country, that's always a sign of a team doing well. You understand your cricket over a period of time," said Karthik during the post-match presentation.
"I am very keen on taking our state cricket forward and playing for the country is always on my mind. This is the biggest stadium in the world. The outfield and the wickets throughout were fantastic. To have an IPL game is here is going to be fantastic. Everything looks big here. Support staff have done a great job. We do all the strategies together. I would like to thank Gujarat Cricket Association, for taking care of us really well in the bubble," he added.
Manimaran Siddharth's four-wicket haul and Baba Aparajith's unbeaten 29-run knock helped Tamil Nadu defeat Baroda by seven wickets in the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Sunday at the Motera Stadium.
This is the second time Tamil Nadu has won the T20 tournament. Earlier, the side had won the competition way back in the 2006-07 season. In the 2020-21 tournament, Dinesh Karthik-led Tamil Nadu did not lose a single match and the side emerged as deserving winners.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy had started on January 10, and the group stages gave many players a chance to show their skills. Kerela's Mohammed Azharuddeen lit up the tournament in the match against Mumbai as he went on to play a knock of 137 runs off just 54 balls with the help of 9 boundaries and 11 sixes.
Sreesanth also made a return to competitive cricket after a hiatus of almost eight years. The pacer represented Kerela and he was seen bowling with his trademark aggression.
The coronavirus pandemic had made the situation slightly more complex this time going into the tournament as players needed to focus not only on their games, but also on bio-bubble protocols and safety regulations. But the T20 tournament proved as a perfect opportunity for the young and fringe players to impress the national selectors with an eye on the 2021 T20 World Cup. (ANI)