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Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik is all set to call time on his Indian Premier League (IPL) career after the upcoming season, reported ESPNCricinfo.
Karthik, who will turn 39 in June, will also soon make a call on his international future. The veteran started his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) back in 2008 and is one of the seven players to have featured in every season of the league, along with MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha and Manish Pandey. After his stint with Delhi Capitals till 2010, the right-handed batter had stints with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings, 2011), Mumbai Indians (2012-13), Delhi again in 2014, Royal Challengers Bangalore (2015, 2022-present), Gujarat Lions (2016-17), Kolkata Knight Riders (2018-21). He won the 2013 IPL title with MI, which remains his only IPL title to this day. In 242 matches, Karthik has scored 4,516 runs at an average of 25.81 and a strike rate of over 132, with 20 fifties. His best score is 97*. He is the 10th-highest run-getter in league history. The previous season last year with RCB was extremely poor for Karthik, who scored 140 runs in 13 matches at an average of over just 11 with the best score of 30. It was in contrast with his 2022 season with RCB, in which he enjoyed immense success as a finisher/accelerator, scoring 330 runs in 16 matches at an average of 55.00, with a fifty and a strike rate of over 183. It was his performances in this season that earned him a call-up back into the Indian team and an inclusion in the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, where India finished as semifinalists after a ten-wicket loss to England. Karthik was underwhelming in the tournament and could not deliver as a finisher. Already a skipper for Tamil Nadu, Karthik has also led Delhi in six matches and KKR in 37 matches between 2018-20, winning 21 matches, losing 21 and one match ended in a tie. After his current stint, fans could see Karthik in domestic cricket in India and as a commentator. He has already been working as a commentator since 2021. Karthik has represented India in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 60 T20Is, scoring 3,463 runs at an average of 27.70, with a century and 17 fifties. Royal Challengers will play the tournament opener against defending champions Chennai Super Kings on March 22 at Chepauk. (ANI)
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