Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) superstar Dinesh Karthik earned a much-anticipated India call-up after unlocking the best version of himself in the 15th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Showering praise on the veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter, legendary Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar credited Karthik for overcoming “personal setbacks” by securing a spot in the white-ball squad of the KL Rahul-led India side prior to the South Africa series.

Nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express, Akhtar never shies away from speaking his mind while discussing the gentleman’s game in the public domain. Talking about the inspiring return of Karthik to the Indian national side for the South Africa series, Pakistan’s fast bowling great refused to delve into details while congratulating the RCB superstar amid the 15th season of the cash-rich league.

“I usually avoid speaking about people’s personal lives. What I want to say here is that he had suffered some setbacks in his personal life, but he came back really well after that. I have followed his personal life and read quite a bit about it. And I really like how he has come back. I would say well done to him. This is what attitude is all about,” Akhtar was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.

Karthik, who last played an international game for the former world champions in the 2019 World Cup, will feature for the Rohit Sharma-less side in the five-match T20I series between India and South Africa. Released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2022, explosive batter Karthik has raised his stocks in T20 cricket with his fruitful stint at the Bangalore-based franchise. The middle-order batter has amassed 287 runs for the Virat Kohli-starrer RCB side in 14 matches.