This will be the last IPL of Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik is set to bid farewell to the IPL arena after the current season, as indicated by reports. A stalwart of Indian cricket, Karthik has been a consistent presence in the IPL since its inception in 2008, being among the seven players to feature in every season. Joining Royal Challengers Bangalore for his final IPL campaign, Karthik is poised to evaluate his international career shortly thereafter, according to ESPN Cricinfo.

With 4516 runs, Karthik ranks as the league’s tenth highest run-scorer, trailing only MS Dhoni (250) and Rohit Sharma (243) in terms of appearances, having played 242 matches. Remarkably, the 39-year-old has missed merely two matches over the past 16 IPL seasons.

Second only to Dhoni (180) in wicketkeeper dismissals, Karthik boasts 169 dismissals in the league. His IPL journey began with the now-defunct Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural season, where he also assumed captaincy duties in six matches. Subsequently, he led the Kolkata Knight Riders in 37 matches between 2018 and 2020.

In the previous season with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Karthik’s performance was lackluster, managing only 140 runs in 13 matches at an average of 11.67. However, in 2022, he excelled as a finisher, amassing 330 runs at an average of 55.00 in 16 matches, playing a pivotal role in RCB’s journey to the playoffs. His outstanding performance earned him a spot in the Indian squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

Karthik’s IPL odyssey includes stints with various franchises. He started with Delhi Daredevils from 2008 to 2010, followed by Kings XI Punjab in 2011. He then played for Mumbai Indians in 2012 and 2013, returned to Delhi Daredevils in 2014, joined Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2015, represented Gujarat Lions for two seasons (2016 and 2017), and finally moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018, remaining with them until 2021 before being acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022.

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