Nine years ago, on this day, the Indian team showcased their dominance in world cricket after winning the ICC Champions Trophy by five runs, post a cliff-hanger against hosts England. After a successful World Cup campaign at home in 2011, the young team was unbeaten throughout this edition of the Champions Trophy, clinching it for the second time in the history.

Persistent showers and a wet outfield resulted in a curtailed game with 20 overs on each side. The Indian team managed to post 129 runs in the first innings, with Virat Kohli top-scoring with 43 runs.

Defending a modest total, the spin twins Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin spun a web around the home team in the middle overs. They picked up four wickets and conceded 39 runs in their eight overs to help the team edge past the opposition by five runs.  

The iconic tournament proved to be a catalyst in unearthing the immense talent and skill possessed by Dinesh Karthik in the middle order.

The team entered the competition with Murali Vijay, and Shikhar Dhawan assigned the role of opening the innings. However, their inconsistent run in the warm-up games resulted in enormous pressure on the middle order. In the match against Sri Lanka, the Indian team were struggling at 110 for the loss of four wickets, chasing a target of 334 runs in the first innings.

Our Knight, Dinesh Karthik, walked in at number six and steadied the innings. The wicket keeper was making a comeback to the national side after three years. Along with Virat Kohli, he forged a crucial 186 run partnership for the fifth wicket to help India inch closer to victory. En route to his match-defining innings, he notched up a well compiled century (106* off 81 balls) to guide the team over the finish line.

He followed this sublime knock with another magnificent hundred against Australia in the next game. With the top order tottering at 39 for four, Karthik scored an unbeaten knock of 146 runs to propel the Indian team to 308 runs in the first innings.

Two centuries in testing situations in the lead up to the inaugural game meant that Dinesh Karthik was certain to shoulder the responsibility of the side in the middle order.

Despite the Indian team registering a 26 run win against the mighty South Africans in the opening game, they were in a spot of bother chasing 234 runs against the West Indies in their second league game.  

The crisis man for the team, Karthik, consolidated the run chase with a 109* run stand for the third wicket along with Virat Kohli. He continued with his impressive form with an unbeaten half-century off 54 balls to guide the team to an eight-wicket win. 

The highlight of the tournament for India in their successful campaign was the performance of Dinesh Karthik. With an average of 41 in five innings, he was an integral part of the success of the Indian team. His rise as a dependable middle-order batsman also helped MS Dhoni to strengthen the bowling unit and play five specialists bowlers in the playing XI.