Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finisher Dinesh Karthik has wrapped up his illustrious IPL career, and he’s taking a moment to recall some of the funniest banters he had on the field with Mumbai Indians (MI) stars Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. The Tamil Nadu keeper-batter, who has been an essential part of both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and RCB, has redefined the role of a finisher in the IPL.
Dinesh Karthik’s Banters with Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya
“Every time I played against RCB and Virat Kohli caught my catch, ‘Ben Stokes’ came out of his mouth for sure. But that was a send-off. Hardik Pandya sledged me saying ‘Abhi legspinner aaya, iska thank you hi hai’ [Now a legspinner will come, and it is Thank You time]. Then I had to play a couple of shots, and he was like ‘Theek hai, thoda improve hogaya lag raha hai’ [Looks like he’s improved a bit]. That was good. He’s a good friend. He was also like ‘Commentator banke bhi thoda kaam kar raha hai’ [Even after becoming a commentator, he’s working on his game]. That was fun. Rohit Sharma this year taunting me… unnecessarily giving me hopes,” Dinesh Karthik shared with Cricbuzz.
Karthik’s IPL journey, spanning an incredible 17 seasons, came to a close on May 22. It wasn’t the fairytale ending he might have hoped for, with RCB crashing out of IPL 2024 after a loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR). However, his contribution to the tournament over the years has been immense and unforgettable.
Karthik amassed a total of 4,842 runs at a strike rate of 135.36. While these are his overall IPL numbers, he completely reinvented himself as the league’s best finisher, having struck at a rate of 184 and 187 in IPL 2022 and 2024, respectively. His ability to handle high-pressure situations and deliver for his team will be missed by fans and teammates alike.
