Dinesh Karthik. PC- Instagram
Dinesh Karthik. PC- Instagram

Dinesh Karthik will join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise as their mentor and batting coach, the franchise announced on July 1, 2024. Dinesh Karthik announced his retirement from the game after RCB crashed out of the IPL 2024 in the Eliminator match.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was selected by the RCB franchise in the IPL 2022 mega auction and remained with them for three seasons. In 2015, he spent one season with them.

Karthik completed his IPL career on a good note, scoring 326 runs in 13 innings in 2024 with a strike rate of 187.35. Karthik played 60 matches for RCB in the tournament, scoring 937 runs with an average of 24.65 and a strike rate of 162.95.

Karthik is one of just seven players to have competed in every IPL season since 2008. He played for six IPL clubs in all, beginning with the Delhi Daredevils and progressing to the Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders, and RCB.

Overall, he played 257 matches in the tournament, scoring 4842 runs with an average of 26.31 and a strike rate of 135.36, including 22 fifties. Karthik is second on the record (174) in terms of overall dismissals, trailing only MS Dhoni (190).

Great to continue my association with the RCB franchise- Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik was an active player until recently and as for his coaching experience, the Tamil Nadu cricketer was part of England Lions’s staff as batting coach when they toured India in January earlier this year.

At RCB, Karthik will work alongside head coach Andy Flower, bowling coach Adam Griffith, and director of cricket Mo Bobat. Dinesh Karthik also thanked the RCB franchise for the opportunity in a special video shared by the franchise.

He said: “Namaskara Bengaluru. First up, I want to thank all of y’all for helping me in the last three years to achieve whatever I have achieved. The RCB fanbase is one of the most beautiful fanbases that any player can be associated with. When I landed in New York just a few days ago for this World Cup, the first person I met was wearing an RCB shirt and took an autograph from me.

“And that shows how powerful and how global brand RCB is. Across the length and breadth of the world, fans keep supporting RCB. And to have been a part of the team as a player, and now that I’ve got the opportunity to be a mentor and a batting coach, I’m looking forward to it.

Please be there for me like you all were for me as a player. I will do the best that I can. There is one unfulfilled goal, isn’t it? Winning the title. As a player, very, very close a few times. But I can promise you, as a coach, We will make it happen. RCB lifting the trophy is going to happen very very soon. Take care, stay with us and keep supporting us.”

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