Dinesh Karthik facts for kids
Karthik in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Krishnakumar Dinesh Karthik
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| Born | 1 June 1985 Madras, Tamil Nadu, India |
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| Nickname | DK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper-batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 250) | 3 November 2004 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 9 August 2018 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 156) | 5 September 2004 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 10 July 2019 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 4) | 1 December 2006 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 2 November 2022 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2024 | Tamil Nadu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010, 2014 | Delhi Daredevils | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Kings XI Punjab | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Mumbai Indians | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015, 2022–2024 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Gujarat Lions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Kolkata Knight Riders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Paarl Royals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 2 November 2024
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Dinesh Karthik, born on June 1, 1985, is a former Indian professional cricketer. He also works as a coach and commentator. He played for the Indian national cricket team and led the Tamil Nadu team in domestic cricket. Currently, he is a mentor and batting coach for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.
Karthik joined the Indian cricket team in 2004. He was the fourth Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches. He was part of the team that won the first T20 World Cup in 2007. He also helped India win the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Dinesh Karthik was the first Indian player to win a "Player of the Match" award in a T20 International game in 2006. He was known for hitting sixes, his aggressive batting, and his ability to finish games strongly. He was a key player in the IPL and for the Indian team for nearly two decades.
Karthik scored his first century in Test cricket against Bangladesh. He was India's top scorer during their 2007 Test tour of England. This helped India win their first series in England in 21 years. After September 2007, his form dropped, and he played fewer international matches until 2022.
From 2018 to 2020, Karthik was the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He also worked as a commentator for Sky Sports, especially during India's 2021 tour of England. He announced his retirement from professional cricket in 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Start
Dinesh Karthik was born in Chennai, India, to a Telugu family. He started playing cricket at age 10. Before that, he lived in Kuwait for two years because of his father's job. Karthik went to school in India, and also at Carmel School and Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School in Kuwait. He finished his schooling at Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai.
His father, who was also a cricketer, coached him. Karthik's father wanted his son to have a better cricket career than he did. He trained Dinesh very hard from a young age. To improve his reflexes, his father would throw hard leather balls at him very fast. Dinesh first started as a batsman. He learned wicket-keeping while playing for the Tamil Nadu youth teams.
Karthik quickly moved up through the youth cricket ranks. He played for the Tamil Nadu under-14 team in early 1999. By the 2000-2001 season, he was playing for the under-19 team. He made his first-class debut for the senior team the next season.
Personal Life
Dinesh Karthik married Nikita Vanjara in 2007. They later divorced in 2012. In November 2013, he got engaged to Indian squash player Dipika Pallikal. They married in August 2015 in both Christian and Hindu ceremonies. On October 18, 2021, they became parents to twin boys named Kabir and Zian.
Playing for Teams in India
Karthik started his first-class career in late 2002 as a wicket-keeper for Tamil Nadu. He scored 179 runs in five matches, including 88 not out. He also took 11 catches. However, he made some mistakes as a wicket-keeper and was not chosen for the final matches of that season.
He then played for the South Zone under-19 team. He scored 180 runs with three half-centuries. He was also selected for the national under-19 team. Karthik worked on his wicket-keeping skills with former Indian keeper Kiran More, which helped him improve.
Karthik returned to the Ranji Trophy team for the 2003-2004 season. He scored 438 runs and took 20 catches. In the semi-final, he scored his first first-class century with 122 runs. He then scored 109 not out in the final.
He played for India A in Zimbabwe, scoring two half-centuries. In the 2008-2009 season, he had a great domestic season. He scored 213 runs in one match and two centuries in other matches. He ended the season with 1,026 runs, including five centuries.
In 2009-2010, he captained the Tamil Nadu team in six Ranji Trophy matches. He scored 152 and 117 in two matches. In October 2018, Karthik was named captain of the India A team. He also led the Tamil Nadu team to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy twice, in 2006-2007 and 2020-2021. He scored 183 runs in the 2020-2021 tournament.
Dinesh Karthik became the fourth Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches.
Playing in Franchise Leagues
Indian Premier League Journey
Karthik played in the first Indian Premier League season in 2008 for the Delhi Daredevils. He scored 145 runs and made 17 dismissals as a wicket-keeper. In 2009, he played all 15 matches for the Daredevils, scoring 288 runs.
In 2011, Kings XI Punjab bought Karthik for $900,000. For the 2012 season, he joined Mumbai Indians. He played for Mumbai Indians for two seasons (2012, 2013) and helped them win the title in 2013. He scored 510 runs that season. Karthik later said he regretted not staying with Mumbai Indians in 2014.
He then played for Delhi Daredevils again in 2014. In 2015, he moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore, and in 2016, to Gujarat Lions. He was named the wicket-keeper of the IPL XI team by CricBuzz in 2017.
In 2018, the Kolkata Knight Riders bought Karthik. He became their captain and led the team to the playoffs. He was also named to the ESPNcricinfo and CricBuzz IPL XI for his performance. In 2020, he gave up the captaincy to Eoin Morgan.
In the 2022 IPL auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore bought Karthik for 5.50 crore Indian Rupees. He scored 330 runs in 16 matches that season. In 2023, he had a difficult season, scoring only 140 runs. In 2024, many thought it would be his last IPL season. He started strongly, scoring two half-centuries. His team, RCB, made a great comeback and reached the playoffs. Karthik was praised for his wicket-keeping and finishing skills. However, RCB lost in the playoffs. Dinesh Karthik retired from professional cricket in 2024.
He ended his IPL career with the record for the most ducks (being dismissed without scoring any runs) in IPL history, with 18.
SA20 League
In August 2024, it was reported that Karthik would join Paarl Royals in the SA20 competition for 2025. This made him the first Indian player to play in SA20. He played his first league match on January 11, 2025, as a wicket-keeper.
International Cricket Career
Test Matches
Karthik made his Test cricket debut in October 2004 against Australia in Mumbai. He replaced Parthiv Patel. He scored 14 runs and took two catches. People praised his wicket-keeping on a difficult pitch.
He played in a two-Test series against South Africa in India. He scored 46 runs in the second Test, helping India win. In December 2004, he played in a two-Test series against Bangladesh. India won both matches easily, but Karthik scored only 25 and 11 runs.
He was part of the three-Test series at home against Pakistan in March 2005. In the second Test in Kolkata, he scored 28 runs and then 63 runs in the second innings. This helped India set a big target and win the match.
After MS Dhoni performed well, Karthik was replaced in the Test team. He played 10 Tests, scoring 245 runs with one half-century. He was later selected as a back-up wicket-keeper in November 2006.
In January 2007, Karthik played his first Test in over a year against South Africa. He opened the innings and scored 63 runs, helping India get a good lead. His wicket-keeping was also praised.
He was chosen as a specialist opener for a tour of Bangladesh. He scored 56 and 22 runs in the first Test. In the second Test, he scored his first Test century, making 129 runs. India won that match easily.
Karthik was a regular opener in the Test series in England in mid-2007. He scored a half-century in each of the three Tests. He made 60 runs in the first Test, 77 runs in the second, and 91 runs in the third. He was India's highest scorer in the series with 263 runs, helping India win their first series in England in 21 years.
He had a tough Test series against Pakistan at home in late 2008, scoring only 39 runs in two matches. In the third Test, he scored 24 and 52 runs and kept wickets because Dhoni was injured.
Karthik was recalled to the Test team in July 2008 for the tour of Sri Lanka. He played in two Tests but struggled with the bat, scoring only 36 runs. He was selected for the tour of New Zealand in 2009 as a reserve wicket-keeper. He played in the second Test when Dhoni was injured but was criticized for dropping catches.
He played in the first Test in Chittagong when Dhoni was injured again. He scored a duck (zero runs) in the first innings.
One Day and T20 Matches
Dinesh Karthik played his first One Day International (ODI) match in 2004 against England at Lord's. He scored only one run. He took three catches in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy against Kenya. He was then replaced by MS Dhoni in the ODI team.
In April 2006, Karthik was called back to the ODI team. He played as a batsman in three ODIs against South Africa, scoring 42 runs. In 2007, he scored 31 not out to help India win a Twenty20 International against South Africa. He then scored 63 runs as a specialist batsman against West Indies, earning his first "man-of-the-match" award.
He was selected for the first 2007 ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in September 2007. He played in India's early matches.
2009–2019 Period
Karthik got another chance in India's tour of West Indies in 2009. He scored 67, 4, and 47 runs as an opener. He was then part of a triangular ODI tournament in Sri Lanka.
In December 2009, Karthik was recalled to the ODI team when Dhoni was banned. Karthik kept wickets and scored 32 and 19 not out, helping India win. He kept his place in the team for a tri-series in Bangladesh. He opened the batting and scored 48 and 34 runs.
Karthik was recalled to the Indian ODI team for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He scored two centuries in the warm-up games, securing his spot. On December 10, 2017, Karthik faced 18 balls without scoring a run against Sri Lanka, which was an ODI record.
He was called to the Test team in South Africa in 2018 as a wicket-keeper. He was also named in the squad for the March 2018 Nidahas Trophy T20 series. In the final against Bangladesh, he played an amazing innings, scoring 29 runs off just eight balls. He hit a six on the last ball to win the match and the tournament for India.
In April 2019, he was named in India's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. On July 6, he played his 150th international match for India against Sri Lanka. After the 2019 World Cup, he was not selected for the ODI and T20I teams for a while.
Comeback and Retirement
In 2022, at age 37, Karthik was called back to India's T20 team for a series against South Africa. He surprised everyone by scoring his first half-century in T20 International cricket, 16 years after his debut. In June, he was named in India's squad for their T20I series against Ireland.
In July, Karthik captained the Indian side in warm-up matches before the T20I series against England. He was then chosen as the main wicket-keeper for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. This was a remarkable comeback for him. However, he did not perform well with the bat in the World Cup, scoring only 14 runs in four innings. He was then dropped from the team. These were his last international appearances.
Although some thought Karthik might return to the national team after a strong IPL season in 2024, he was not selected. He officially retired from professional cricket after the 2024 IPL season.
