Veteran India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik on March 30 (Thursday) confirmed that he will be part of the 12-member commentary panel for the Ashes series between England and Australia. The five-match high-octane series between the two fierce rivals will begin on June 16 after the conclusion of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) and the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Karthik posted an emotional message on Twitter while voicing his gratitude after being included in a legendary team.
"One MASSIVE announcement before the IPL as a player starts...So proud to be amongst these legends. Surreal feeling. Just felt like sharing!Bas. That's all. Thanks @SkyCricket for giving me this opportunity and honour. #Ashes2023," Karthik said in a Tweet.
Karthik is the only Indian to be part of the commentary panel for the prestigious Ashes series. The 37-year-old is part of the team that includes Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Mel Jones, Kumar Sangakkara, Mark Taylor, Mark Butcher, Ricky Ponting, Ian Ward, and Andrew Strauss.
Talking about Karthik, the veteran Indian cricketer is gearing up to participate in the upcoming cash-rich tournament which is scheduled to begin on March 31 (Friday). The wicketkeeper-batter will represent Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), a franchise for which he performed exceedingly well in the previous edition of the IPL.
Playing a role of a 'finisher' for RCB, Karthik destroyed bowling attacks in death overs consistently. In 16 matches, the right-handed batter aggregated 330 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 183.33. After his stupendous performance with the bat, the veteran cricketer was recalled to the Indian set-up. Karthik was part of the Indian squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Karthik didn't live up to his lofty standards in the T20 World Cup but his potential can never be doubted. The veteran right-handed batter would look to replicate his heroics from last year in IPL 2023. Karthik will first be seen in action when Royal Challengers Bangalore start their campaign against Mumbai Indians on April 2 (Sunday).
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