Dinesh Karthik announced his retirement after RCB’s IPL 2024 exit. The veteran Dinesh Karthik was pivotal to their run to the playoffs this season. Considered to be one of the best finishers in modern-day cricket, Dinesh Karthik retired from the Indian Premier League after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s exit in IPL 2024. He appeared in his final IPL match against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator in Ahmedabad.
Team India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has said he is in perfect physical condition to play professional cricket for another three years. However, the veteran feels he wouldn’t be able to cope with the mental side of things.
Dinesh Karthik in IPL 2024
In IPL 2024, Dinesh Karthik registered 326 runs in 13 innings, at a strike rate of 187.35. During the season, he also bagged two half-centuries. In 257 IPL career matches, he smacked 4842 runs at a strike rate of 135.36, with a high score of 97* and 22 half-centuries. Dinesh Karthik was in poor form in IPL 2023, but staged a comeback this year and was key in RCB’s run to the playoffs.
Considered to be one of the best finishers in modern-day cricket, Dinesh Karthik retired from the Indian Premier League after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s exit in IPL 2024. He appeared in his final IPL match against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator in Ahmedabad. With Karthik unlikely to play for the national side again, he also called it quits from his IPL career recently. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer played his final IPL match this year against the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Post his retirement Dinesh Karthik opened up how he sustained so many years in the grueling seasons of IPL and importance of Impact player in IPL.
“All about the mental side of things” – Dinesh Karthik reveals why he retired from IPL after 2024 season
Team India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has said he is in perfect physical condition to play professional cricket for another three years. However, the veteran feels he wouldn’t be able to cope with the mental side of things.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik said the Impact Player rule makes it easy for him to play longer and that he has never had to worry about his physical fitness. The 38-year-old elaborated:
“I think I am physically very much prepared to play for another three years. Especially with the Impact Player rule, it becomes that much easier. Touch wood, I have never missed a game because of an injury through my three decades. I’ve been blessed that way. I was never worried about my body or my fitness.”
“It was all about the mental side of things, whether I’ll be able to push as much in the lead-up to the tournament, whether if I don’t play as many matches, will I be okay with it,” he added.
When asked what kept him going after a poor IPL season last year, Dinesh Karthik said he has always been “extremely motivated.”
“I am internally very, very motivated. Intrinsically, extremely motivated and I’ve lived by the mantra that if you are the best, no one can stop you. I just believed if I get one chance, I should make the most of it. I never cribbed. I was always thinking like I got a chance but I missed it. I got a tournament here, but I probably could have done better in this match. And that kept me going,” he said.
The right-handed batter hasn’t missed a single season of IPL since its inception in 2008. With 257 matches, he is the joint (along with Rohit Sharma) second-most capped player in IPL history after MS Dhoni (264).
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet” – Dinesh Karthik on his retirement
Karthik further suggested that family functions have kept him busy amid the feeling of retirement and recalled how nervous he was ahead of IPL 2024 against the Chennai Super Kings. He said:
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. There’s lots happening in the house, there’s a couple of weddings and all so I’ve been pretty busy with that. It’s a tad bit emotional, a tad bit relief. In a way, I was mentally prepared for whenever it had to happen. But I was so much more prepared for 18th May.”
“Once that part of the tournament was crossed, I was extremely elated and very, very happy and grateful. The 22nd came around pretty fast, but overall it was a mixed feeling of relief, emotion and the fact that it has all come to an end,” he added.
In 257 IPL career matches, he smacked 4842 runs at a strike rate of 135.36, with a high score of 97* and 22 half-centuries. Post retirement Dinesh Karthik will now be seeing commentating in the upcoming T20I World Cup.