Dinesh Karthik hints at retirement from IPL
Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik intimated that he may have played his final Indian Premier League match after RCB lost the IPL 2024 Eliminator to Rajasthan on Wednesday. Karthik removed his gloves and thanked the crowd’s ovation following the painful loss in the playoffs match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Dinesh Karthik, 38, shared a passionate embrace with Virat Kohli after Rovman Powell scored the winning runs for Rajasthan in their successful chase of 173. Karthik has yet to officially confirm his retirement from the IPL, after repeatedly stating throughout the season that the IPL 2024 could be his last as a player.
In fact, Virat Kohli led the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman’s guard of honour before trainer and close friend Shanker Basu greeted him off the field.
Also read: IPL 2024: Dominant KKR thrash below-par SRH to enter final
Dinesh Karthik also had an emotional guard of honour from his RCB teammates before leaving the field following their 4-wicket loss to the Royals. The RCB stars endured a terrible evening as their resurgent run came to an end.
RCB were at the bottom of the standings halfway through the season, having won only one of their eight matches. However, they made it to the playoffs after winning six consecutive games, including a knockout punch to 5-time champions Super Kings.
Dinesh Karthik’s IPL Career
Dinesh Karthik will conclude his IPL career with 4842 runs in 257 matches, including 22 fifties. Karthik finished in the top ten all-time IPL run scorers.
Karthik continues to defy age in the IPL, particularly after joining RCB. As he was not a regular member of the senior national squad after the T20 World Cup in 2022, the wicketkeeper-batsman had to balance commentary responsibilities and IPL practice. In reality, Karthik’s outstanding IPL 2022 performance with RCB (330 runs at a strike rate of 183) won him a T20I recall and a spot in the World Cup team.
Karthik concluded the IPL 2024 season with 326 runs in 15 matches, once again proving himself as a finisher. In fact, Karthik has put himself back in contention for a position in the T20 World Cup squad. India captain Rohit Sharma even joked about Karthik’s chances during an on-field exchange with the veteran wicketkeeper.
