Key Points

"Look, I've had the good fortune of taking up the sport because of West Indies cricket, to be very honest. For me, Sir Garfield (Sobers) was a great inspiration. I don't know if many people know about that, but I took up the sport because of West Indies cricket, and Sir Garfield Sobers was the inspiration," Kartik told ANI.

The left-arm spinner, who went on to represent India, said he was fortunate to have Bishan Singh Bedi and Maninder Singh as mentors.

"As and when I became a left-arm spinner, I was lucky enough that I had the great Bishan Bedi and Maninder Singh as my mentor and guru. So for me, it's just been an absolutely brilliant journey," he added.

Reflecting on his career that spanned over two decades, Kartik said he was blessed to play alongside some of Indian's finest cricketers.

"God was kind enough, I ended up playing the sport for twenty-six long years at various levels. I was also very lucky that I played possibly in one of the best generations with the likes of Sachin (Tendulkar), (Virender) Sehwag, Rahul (Dravid), (VVS) Laxman, Sourav (Ganguly), Zaheer (Khan), Ajit (Agarkar), (Javagal) Srinath, (Anil) Kumble, Harbhajan (Singh), the three of us as spinners, so, I can't ask for more, (Mohammed) Azharuddin was my captain at one stage. So it's just been a really nice journey," he said.

On 'The Great Indian Cricket Show', Kartik also shared his views on storytelling in cricket and how behind every performance lies a tale of sacrifice and inspiration.

"Every story has a backstory, and the cricketers we watch or are inspired by. They've all had a story, even the other ones who aren't talked about. I think all of them have a story," he said.

He added, "With the help of explanations regarding statistics and all the technology, I think it should be a wonderful view because, at the end of the day, that is what inspires us. We all love a good story, and I always say this in sports: there is a lot of blood, sweat, and sacrifice involved, which any sports person has made, whether it's cricket or otherwise. So you have that story, and what has happened or transpired from it. I think that making a difference is what I feel."

- ANI