The Paarl Royals have roped in former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik for the third season of SA20, which will make him the first Indian cricketer to feature in the South African league. The tournament is all set to get underway on January 9.
Karthik, 39, had announced his retirement from international cricket in June. He has since been appointed mentor and batting coach with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
There are so many great memories of my time in South Africa. So, when this came up, there was no looking back because I had an opportunity to get back to competitive cricket and have success with the Royals," Karthik said. He has played 180 international matches for India across all formats, with his last T20 appearance having come in IPL 2024 for RCB in which he scored 326 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 187.36. His last outing for India was against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.
Karthik also spoke about his excitement at joining Paarl Royals: "I'm really excited to be part of the Royals, a team that has experience, talent and potential. I look forward to doing my bit in what is shaping up to be a season to remember." A day earlier, he was also named the league's ambassador.
This is what Kumar Sangakkara, Royals' Director of Cricket, had to say in welcoming Karthik into the team fold: "Dinesh is one of the outstanding leaders in modern white-ball cricket. His experience will be invaluable to our team. His approach to the game and his impact on past teams make him a tremendous asset."
He is going to join the strong roster of international talent at the Royals, where he will be alongside captain David Miller, Joe Root, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, and Kwena Maphaka.
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