However, he reinvented himself as a white-ball finisher, earning a national recall for the 2022 World Cup on the back of a stellar IPL season with RCB that year. In his 401 T20 appearances, Karthik retires with 7407 runs, including 34 half-centuries, at a strike-rate of nearly 137. In his 257-game IPL career, Karthik played for KKR, MI, Delhi Daredevils and Punjab Kings besides RCB, scoring a total of 4842 runs at an average of 26.32. “Of course, to all the fans and followers of our great game, a massive thank you! Cricket and cricketers, wouldn’t be the same without your support and good wishes,” Karthik concluded. Remarkably versatile, his prowess transcended formats, making him a cornerstone of the team across all formats.
‘Its official’ – Dinesh Karthik retires, shares heartfelt post to hang professional cricket boots
- Karthik played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 60 T20Is for India between 2004 and 2022 in a career that spanned 19 years.
- The wicketkeeper-batter took to his official social media accounts to post a statement, announcing his decision to retire from professional cricket and pursue new opportunities.
- “My parents have been pillars of strength and support over all these years, and I wouldn’t be what I am without their blessings. I also owe plenty to Dipika (Pallikal), herself a professional sportsperson who often put her career on hold to walk my journey with me.
- In his illustrious IPL career, which spanned over 17 years, Karthik played for six franchises in the cash-rich league.
- “I’d like to thank all my coaches, captains, selectors, teammates, and members of the support staff who have made this long journey pleasant and enjoyable.
- India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has said that while Rohit Sharma’s ‘I am not retiring’ quip after the Champions Trophy final was very humourous, it also sent across a statement, asking critics and onlookers not to ponder over his retirement chances shortly.
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Among the millions that play the sport in our country, I consider among the lucky few to have had the chance to represent the nation,” Karthik added in his statement. “My parents have been pillars of strength and support over all these years, and I wouldn’t be what I am without their blessings. I also owe plenty to Dipika, herself a professional sportsperson who often put her career on hold to read walk my journey with me,” he added. My parents have been pillars of strength and support over all these years, and I wouldn’t be what I am without their blessings. I also owe plenty to Dipika, herself a professional sportsperson who often put her career on hold to walk my journey with me. “My parents have been pillars of strength and support over all these years, and I wouldn’t be what I am without their blessings. I also owe plenty to Dipika (Pallikal), herself a professional sportsperson who often put her career on hold to walk my journey with me.
Rohit didn’t have the best of times as batter or as captain in that duration, with India losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which was preceded by a home Test series whitewash against New Zealand. A close friend and a teammate for over 15 years, Dinesh Karthik reacted to the post-tournament press conference, speaking on Rohit’s personality on and off the field. “India, right now, is in a privileged and blessed place because of the assortment of cricketers it has across skillsets.
India
Their ability to perform under pressure in big moments is what defines them,” he said. After much speculation, that had the rumours mills running overtime, Rohit Sharma confirmed that he is not retiring from ODIs. “I am not going to retire from this format. Just to make sure no rumours are spread moving forward. Koi future plan hai nahi, jo chal raha hai chalega (there is no future plan, whatever is going on will continue as it is),” he said. Interestingly, Karthik’s attachment to the sport isn’t fading away, as the cricketer-cum-commentator will be putting the microphones on to voice his opinions during the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Notably, the veteran was added to the list of elite commentators’ panel ahead of the tournament, and will feature alongside the likes of Ravi Shastri, Ian Bishop, and Dale Steyn to name a few. He has enjoyed numerous successful seasons in the IPL, but the 2013 and 2024 campaigns were particularly noteworthy for distinct reasons.
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Also READ: Dipika Pallikal shares a special message for her husband Dinesh Karthik; Virat Kohli also shower praise
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Notably, RCB head coach Andy Flower had hinted Karthik might play a few more T20 leagues before hanging up his boots. However, it seems the wicketkeeper-batter has decided to call time on his career despite being in good form with the bat and with the gloves. There have been numerous cricketers who have entered and exited the scene, yet few have achieved the eminence of the legendary Dinesh Karthik. Having commenced his career with Tamil Nadu in 2002, the wicketkeeper-batter steadily progressed, becoming a formidable force, particularly on challenging pitches, making his name as a master in tackling turning tracks with utmost ease. Earlier, speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik had said that he had the physical ability to play for another three years but wasn’t mentally ready to continue his career as a professional cricketer.
The wicketkeeper-batter took to his official social media accounts to post a statement, announcing his decision to retire from professional cricket and pursue new opportunities. On Saturday, Dinesh Karthik posted his retirement note on social media, telling the world that it is time for him to bow out while recording his gratitude to all who supported him, be it family or the cricketing eco-system. Having lived in Kuwait during early school days because his father Krishnakumar worked there, Karthik, during his early days in international career, would be accompanied by his mother Padhmini, who was a regular at all his matches.
In IPL, Karthik represented various teams including Delhi Daredevils (DD), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Mumbai Indians (MI), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Gujarat Lions (GL) and RCB. He first walked into the public imagination with his airborne stumping of Michael Vaughan in England under Sourav Ganguly in 2004 and last played for India in the 2022 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma. His career got a second wind in the last six to seven years when he was always having a good IPL season here and there, especially whenever there would be an ICC tournament round the corner. He also thanked his wife Dipika Pallikal, a champion squash player in her own right with multiple Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medals.