Former India fast bowler Dhawal Kulkarni said he has no regrets about not playing Test cricket for the country and is satisfied with his five Ranji Trophy titles for Mumbai in domestic cricket. Kulkarni, who made his debut for India against England in Birmingham in 2014, played 12 ODIs and two T20Is for the country, taking a total of 22 wickets. The 35-year-old fast bowler never got a chance to represent the country in Test cricket despite his impressive domestic career.
In 96 first-class matches, he took 285 wickets for Mumbai at an average of 27.11, including 15 five-wicket hauls. The experienced bowler told that during his time the Indian team had good fast bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma, due to which his chances in the team were reduced.
Kulkarni told IANS, “During my time there were fast bowlers in the Indian team who were performing well and that is why I could not play Tests. I have no regrets about it. Whenever I played for India, I gave my best performance.” I have won five Ranji titles with Mumbai which is a big achievement and I am very happy with it.”
When asked about the difference in leadership skills between the legendary MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, the fast bowler said, “I didn’t get a chance to play a lot under Mahi (MS Dhoni), but I have played a lot under Rohit’s captaincy.” It is important to have a captain like him. He listens to every member of the team (from first to last) and this makes him a very welcoming captain. This is his biggest quality, he gives confidence to the players, because they get at least 7-8 chances to prove themselves.
He said, “Dhoni always thinks one step ahead. His field placement in IPL is very unique. He keeps an eye on everything on the field. He has a lot of experience, so Rohit and Dhoni are different captains.” When asked about his future endeavors after retirement, Kulkarni said, “I am doing my homework (as a coach). I have to meet all the criteria to become a coach in the IPL or the Indian team. ” Kulkarni is a part of the India Capitals team in the current Legends Cricket League.