Dinesh Karthik, ace wicketkeeper batter, has announced his retirement from IPL and all forms of cricket. Post IPL Playoffs 2024, RCB match with Rajasthan Royals, he took this decision. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, RCB, have been unable to win any IPL title for 17 years. One of All-time legends, Virat Kohli has driven the franchise’s popularity to next level along with AB de Villiers.
But they had many missed pieces in the puzzle to win the coveted trophy. Mainly, the team needed someone to finish the games for them. While AB de Villiers used to carry the responsibility on his shoulders. But they needed a specialist finisher, to decrease the burden on ABD. Especially, after ABD retired, they needed someone with experience to handle such situations.
After being second most successful captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR, Dinesh Karthik joined RCB. He almost announced his retirement and became a commentator before RCB drafted him in. In 2022, he scripted history with his resurgence and failed to repeat it in 2023. But he managed a sensational season in 2024. His contributions with bat have led RCB to have a healthy Net Run Rate, which in the end took them to playoffs.
He scored 326 runs in 15 matches with a strike rate of 187.36. His 83 against SRH, saved RCB from a huge NRR loss. In total, Dinesh Karthik played 257 matches in IPL with 4842 runs to his name at 135.36 Strike Rate. His resurgence as a finisher came to being against Sri Lanka in Nidahas Trophy match. He played some classical innings for RCB and Indian team as a finisher.
Always being in the shadow of a sensational and legendary wicket-keeper batter like MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik could not really make a name for himself in International Cricket. But IPL gave him a platform to script some special stories and moments for himself over the past 17 years. But his contribution to RCB in 2022 and 2024 will remain legendary.