Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has announced his retirement from all forms of representative cricket on his 39th birthday. Karthik, who last played for India in the 2022 T20 World Cup, had previously expressed interest in playing in the 2024 edition but has decided to move on to other pursuits. His career, which began in the 2002-03 season, has now come to an end.
In recent years, Karthik has been a prominent figure in domestic cricket and the IPL. His final appearance came earlier this month when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faced Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Ahmedabad. Karthik scored 11 runs off 13 balls and contributed with a catch and a stumping.
Karthik’s retirement was anticipated, as it was reported before the start of IPL 2024 that this season would be his last. He exits the tournament as one of the seven players who have participated in every IPL season since its inception in 2008, joining the ranks of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, and Manish Pandey.
Remarkably, Karthik missed just two matches throughout his 17 IPL seasons. The first absence was during his debut season with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and the second in IPL 2023, when he missed a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad while playing for RCB.
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Karthik’s latest stint with RCB was his second, having previously played for them in 2015. In the 2024 season, he was RCB’s fourth-highest run-scorer, amassing 326 runs from 13 innings with a strike rate of 187, showcasing his ability to evolve even in his final season.
Over his IPL career, Karthik represented six teams: Delhi Daredevils (2008-14), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings – 2011), Mumbai Indians (2012-13), Gujarat Lions (2016-17), Kolkata Knight Riders (2018-21), and RCB (2015, 2022-2024). In 256 matches, he scored 4,816 runs at an average of nearly 26 and a strike rate of over 135, including 22 half-centuries. As a wicketkeeper, he ranks second only to Dhoni in dismissals (172) and stumpings (36).
Karthik also had a notable captaincy career in Tamil Nadu’s domestic circuit and in the IPL, leading Delhi Daredevils as a stand-in captain six times and Kolkata Knight Riders 37 times between 2018 and 2020. His overall captaincy record stands at 21 wins, 21 losses, and one tie.
Internationally, Karthik played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20Is for India, excelling in various roles, from opening in Tests to finishing in T20Is. His athleticism behind the stumps was evident from his international debut at just 19 years old.
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