Tom Moody predicts the end of India veteran's IPL career after a mediocre campaign

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody predicted a Team India veteran’s future in the Indian Premier League, following a disappointing IPL 2023. During a segment with ESPNcricinfo, Moody was asked to share his thoughts on none other than Dinesh Karthik. Speaking about the Royal Challengers Bangalore wicket-keeper Moody reveals he hinted at the idea that we might already have witnessed the 37-year-old’s final IPL season.

“Dinesh Karthik had a very average tournament. And you wonder whether this is possibly his last,” said Tom Moody. Meanwhile, the host also put forward the same question to former Indian cricketer Deep Das Gupta. “Will we see DK again?,” host Raunak said. 

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Should RCB retain Dinesh Karthik after the dismal IPL 2023?

In reply, Dasgupta said, “I guess it boils down to whether he wants to continue or not. I am sure if he wants to continue he will find another franchise”. Responding to this, the host said, “Let’s assume he does, do you think it’s not good business for RCB to have him continue”. “I am sure. I think Anuj Rawat has shown enough in glimpses that he can do that job,” said Dasgupta.

A quick look at the Royal Challengers Bangalore scoring charts in IPL 2023 suggests that Dinesh Karthik’s performance was definitely one of the worrying factors of the franchise. The 37-year-old made 13 appearances for the team, but scored 140 runs at an average of 11.67, with his highest score being 30 runs. This is contrasting with the impact he had with the bat at the bottom of the order last year.

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Dinesh Karthik's rise in 2022

In the IPL 2022 season, Dinesh Karthik finished as the third-highest run-scorer for RCB with 330 runs in 16 games at an average of 55.00. His performance in 2022 can also be measured by the fact that he finished the season ahead of Glenn Maxwell. While he got a recall into the Indian cricket team with his form last year, his future as a player in RCB certainly seems unclear for now.

He is one of the notable players who have competed in all seasons of the marquee t20 league that started in 2008. Having played 242 IPL matches in his career, he has smashed 4516 runs, while registering 20 half-centuries. He also led the Kolkata Knight Riders season for a couple of seasons before being left out ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.