IPL 2023: Tom Moody Believes It Could Be Last IPL for Dinesh Karthik

Going into the 2022 IPL mega auctions, the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise bagged veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik. Karthik’s inclusion in the team came as a blessing in disguise for the team last year. Dinesh Karthik enjoyed a great run in the role of “finisher” in the 2022 which also acted as a base of his India’s selection for the T20 World Cup too. While it is nearly impossible for anybody to fill in the shoes of AB de Villiers, it was expected that the veteran wicket-keeper would at least provide some cameo.

The dream season came to an end sooner than anticipated as the runs began to dry in international cricket. The same struggle continued with Dinesh Karthik during this season with his career’s lowest average of 11.67. His failure was one of the reasons why RCB missed a chance to qualify this time for the playoffs. After the team’s elimination, former SRH coach, Tom Moody analyzed the performance of Dinesh Karthik and mentioned this could be his last year as a player.

“This is possibly his (Dinesh Karthik) last tournament,” says Tom Moody

“Dinesh Karthik had a very average tournament and you just wonder whether this is possibly his last tournament,” Tom Moody said. Agreeing with what Tom Moody said Deep Dasgupta mentioned that RCB should release Dinesh Karthik and groom Anuj Rawat as the primary wicket-keeper batter. In addition to speaking about the veteran wicketkeeper, Moody also discussed the middle order of the team.

“Hasaranga had a season that is not to his standards or level that you would expect from him. And he carried an injury in the last few games as well. So, he did not have a chance to recover that at all with some good performances. But what is still very obvious is this it seems to still be a gaping hole between No.4 and No.7. Rawat showed promise, but I think you need to spend some time with him behind the stumps,” Tom Moody said.

Another average season with over-dependence on Faf Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell in the batting line-up has cost the team an opportunity to win their maiden IPL title. It’ll now be interesting to see if the management will retain Dinesh Karthik after a flop year or if the player himself will retire after playing in the competition for 16 years now.