Dinesh Karthik (W)

Dinesh Karthik’s Early Life

Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Dinesh Karthik got his primary education in Kuwait and higher education in India. He started playing cricket when he was 10 and got his initial coaching from his father, a first-division cricketer.

He gradually made his way through the youth ranks and made his under-19 debut in the 2000-01 season. Dinesh became eager to learn more about batting at an early age and learnt wicket-keeping skills as his training progressed through Tamil Nadu's youth teams. A year later, he was selected to represent his state at senior level.

Dinesh Karthik’s International Career

In October 2004, Dinesh Karthik made his debut in International test cricket, at the age of 19, during India’s series against Australia in Mumbai. He scored only 14 runs in two innings, but he was applauded for his wicket-keeping skills with spin and variable bounce on a difficult pitch.

He also played in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy in Kenya, where he had a lackluster performance. He soon was replaced by MS Dhoni, who was performingly strongly.

Karthik didn’t play a single ODI game until 2006. His first batting performance came at the Eden Gardens (Kolkata) against Pakistan. He showcased his caliber and batting talent on a difficult pitch that helped India win the Test match.

With the arrival of MS Dhoni, it became difficult for Karthik to reserve his permanent place in the Test ranks and he became a reserve wicket-keeper batsman for the Indian team.

Despite his Test travails, Karthik has had decent success in his 15-year career in the limited-overs arena, having played 32 T20Is and 94 ODIs up to March 7, 2022. He has also been selected for major international tournaments for India, including the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy, the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Dinesh Karthik has always battled to maintain his place in the Indian squad. His performance in the 2004 Champions Trophy helped him gain some attention, but he didn’t play a single ODI game until 2006 - and that too only because MS Dhoni got injured. With Dhoni on board, Karthik had no hope of getting any permanent opportunity with India so has remained chiefly as a reserve wicketkeeper-batsman.

Karthik may not have been as successful as he would have liked, but he has certainly enjoyed some highs. These included winning the Man of The Match award against Pakistan at Eden Gardens (in Kolkata) for batting well on an extremely difficult pitch, which ultimately led India to victory. He was also declared Player of The Series against Australia when he scored 1,022 runs in three matches, as well as scoring 13 consecutive fifties from December 2009 to January 2010 before finally reaching three figures again.

Cricket Positioning

Dinesh Karthik’s IPL Career

Dinesh Karthik's career in IPL cricket started in 2008 as the wicket-keeper for Delhi Daredevils. His highest score was an unbeaten 56 that helped Delhi register a five-wicket win in a group match against the Mumbai Indians.

In 2011, he was bought by Kings XI Punjab for INR9cr, the second highest amount paid in that season.

He won his only IPL title with Mumbai Indians in 2013. Having played there for two seasons, he was bought back by Delhi Daredevils ahead of the 2014 IPL season. He joined Royal Challengers Bangalore a year later before moving to Gujarat Lions in 2016 and the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018. However, despite replacing Gautam Gambhir as captain, he couldn't achieve any success with Kolkata. With a total score of 816 runs and an average of 41 over six matches playe, this was not a bad record for someone who had been termed as 'struggling'.

He stepped down from captaincy duties halfway through the 2020 IPL season, giving it to Eoin Morgan. He has been acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore for 5.5 Cr ahead of the IPL 2022 season.

Dinesh Karthik’s International Record

Dinesh Karthik has great batting and wicket-keeping skills and is particularly known for his performances in the T20 format. Here are a few of his T20 highlights:

    Karthik is the seventh batsman with the highest strike rate in an innings of 362.50.
    Karthik is ranked 14th for most catches by an individual in Twenty20 cricket.

Dinesh Karthik’s Personal Life

Dinesh Karthik married Nikita Vanjara in 2007, but divorced four years later. He got engaged to squash player Dipika Pallikal and in October 2021 the couple had two children, Kabir and Zian.

Dinesh Karthik’s Net Worth

Dinesh Karthik has an estimated net worth of $12million (INR 90 crores) in 2022. He generates income through international matches, IPL and brand endorsement including Zandu Balm, Khadim India Ltd., Venus and Blackberrys. Dinesh's annual IPL salary for 2022 is approximately $0.73million (INR 5.5 crores).

Dinesh Karthik’s Other Interests:

Karthik is fond of reading, playing Sudoku, swimming and traveling. Besides being a cricketer, he was part of the commentary team for the India-England Twenty20 series in March 2021. Karthik made his debut behind the mic for the official broadcasters of England and Wales Cricket Board during their India tour in 2020.