Dinesh Karthik To Stay With RCB In IPL 2025? Virat Kohli Pleads After DK's Retirement

Virat Kohli & Dinesh Karthik in IPL 2024 [BCCI]

Dinesh Karthik has officially called time on his illustrious Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket career after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) defeat to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator on Wednesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The veteran wicket-keeper batter, known for his finishing skills, played his final game for RCB, hoping to take the team to Qualifier 2.

Over his remarkable career spanning 17 years, Dinesh Karthik made a significant impact, featuring in every season from 2008 to 2024 and representing six different franchises. 

With 257 IPL matches to his name, he ranks second for the most appearances by any player in the league.

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Virat Kohli's Tribute To Dinesh Karthik

Following the match, RCB's star batter and one of Karthik's close friends, Virat Kohli, paid a heartfelt tribute. 

"Hopefully Dinesh Karthik remains connected to RCB in one way or the other in the future because his expertise when it comes to cricket is priceless & adds great value to the RCB franchise," Kohli said.

Karthik, who joined RCB in 2022, quickly became an integral part of the team. The 38-year-old right-hand wicket-keeper batter, despite his hopes for a fairytale ending, saw RCB eliminated by Rajasthan Royals.

True to his often-quoted sentiment that "there is no fairytale ending in sport," his final game was bittersweet.

To honor Karthik's contributions, the RCB team gave him a guard of honor after the match. His retirement marks the end of an era for one of IPL's stalwarts and a celebrated figure in Indian cricket.

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