Dinesh Karthik has not played a single T20 since T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. After getting dropped from the T20I squad, Karthik has been a regular in the commentary box in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. On February 21, Karthik warmed up ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) with a quickfire 38-ball 75 in DY Patil T20 Cup.
Playing for DY Patil Group B, Karthik walked out to bat at no.5 in the ninth over when the score was 66/3. Karthik took on RBI bowling line up including Shahbaz Nadeem and Ankit Rajpoot. He scored 75 runs from 38 deliveries including five fours and six sixes.
Karthik’s 75-run knock helped his side post a fighting total of 186/6 on the board. RBI failed to chase down the target and lost the match by 25 runs.
The 37-year-old's last competitive game was against Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2022. He got run out after scoring seven runs from five deliveries.
Karthik was instrumental in helping Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) reach the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs. Karthik played the finisher role well and scored 330 runs from 10 innings at an average of 55 including one half-century and a strike rate of 183.33.
Recently, Karthik also lended support to a struggling KL Rahul. While the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer wants Shubman Gill to replace him, he recalled a time when he shed a year or two in the toilet after a disappointing performance.
"He also knows for a fact that if he's going to be dropped for the next match, which is pretty much an eventuality, it is not because of the one innings, it is because of what has transpired in the last five-six Test matches. He is a class player. He is very good in all formats. At this point, I don't think it's the technique, it's what is happening between the ears. He might need some time away from the game. Come back fresh for the ODIs," Karthik was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
"This is a professional world, you've got to deal with those sorrowful moments but as a player when I look at what he has gone through. When you get out that way knowing very well this could have been your last innings. It has happened to me when you go into the dressing room, quietly walk into the toilet, and shed a tear or two. It's not a nice feeling because there's not much you can do," he said.
