Dinesh Karthik Breaks Silence On Troubled Relationship With India Star. Says, "Don't Want Him To..."

Dinesh Karthik on Sunday opened up on one of the biggest regrets of his cricketing career and a tense professional relationship

Veteran Indian and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik on Sunday opened up on one of the biggest regrets of his cricketing career and a tense professional relationship with spinner Kuldeep Yadav during his days of struggle with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) back in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019. Karthik, currently playing for RCB, has set the IPL on fire with his skill as a finisher. In the tournament so far, which is supposed to be his last IPL ever, Karthik has made 90 runs in four matches at an average of 45.00 and a strike rate of over 173.

In 247 IPL matches, Karthik has made 4,606 runs at an average of 26.02, with a strike rate of over 133, having scored 20 fifties. His best score is 97*. He is the 10th-highest run-getter in the tournament's history.

After his stint with Delhi Capitals till 2010, the right-handed batter had stints with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings, 2011), Mumbai Indians (2012-13), Delhi again in 2014, Royal Challengers Bangalore (2015, 2022-present), Gujarat Lions (2016-17), Kolkata Knight Riders (2018-21). He won the 2013 IPL title with MI, which remains his only IPL title to this day.

Karthik, who won the 2013 season with MI, said on Ravichandran Ashwin's YouTube channel that his regret was not wanting to be retained by the Blue and Gold franchise after a brilliant 2013 season. Staying with MI would have helped him grow into an even better player. His another regret was not being able to represent his home state with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

"If you had to actually ask me one of my regrets in my cricketing career in respect to IPL, it was the fact that I did not want to get retained in 2013. If I had to rewind that whole thing and go back, and that is when I think sometimes, as a young player, you need someone as a life coach, if I had had Abishek Nayar at that stage, I know he would have said play for the Mumbai Indians," said Karthik.