Dinesh Karthik thankful to CSK for always bidding for him at IPL Auction, adds MI could have helped him grow

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New Delhi, Apr 7: Senior India cricketer Dinesh Karthik, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2024, recently shared insights into his cricket career, expressing a desire to play for Chennai Super Kings while acknowledging the significant role Mumbai Indians could have played in his growth as a player.

Karthik, the senior Tamil Nadu cricketer, who last represented India in the last T20 World Cup, highlighted a couple of regrets in his career on Ravichandran Ashwin's YouTube channel.

The 39-year-old right-handed batter on the show mentioned that not being retained by Mumbai Indians in 2013 deprived him of potential growth opportunities. He scored 510 runs in 19 games for Mumbai Indians in that season, where the Mumbai-based franchise ended up lifting the trophy. Additionally, he expressed admiration for CSK despite not being able to join them, as they consistently bid for him.

"I don't have much regrets in my cricket career - one will be the fact that I didn't want to get retained in 2013, MI could have really helped me grow & become an even better player and second will be I couldn't be part of CSK but I respect them a lot as they bid for me every time".

During the auction process, Karthik expressed how his mere statements tended to grab headlines. Assuming CSK would select him due to his Chennai roots, Karthik later deemed this assumption as naive.

He attributed this assumption to the presence of the late VB Chandrasekhar, a former Indian cricketer associated with Chennai, who had previously chosen Karthik for various cricketing ventures including the Ranji Trophy, India A, and the national team.

Chandrasekhar's favouritism towards him led Karthik to believe he would secure a spot in the Chennai franchise. However, the reality struck when Chennai opted for former India captain MS Dhoni, leaving Karthik out of contention for the wicketkeeper-batsman position.

Realising that both he and Dhoni were part of the Indian team, Karthik understood his role as an understudy, acknowledging the unlikelihood of being selected alongside Dhoni in the same team. This realisation dawned on him during the auction while he was in Melbourne with the Indian team, observing Chennai's choice.

Karthik's stint with Delhi Daredevils during IPL 2009 in South Africa showcased his prowess as he played all 15 matches, amassing 288 runs at an average of 36.00 and contributing significantly with the gloves, tallying 17 dismissals.

Currently, Karthik is actively playing for RCB, where he has contributed 90 runs in five matches. Reports suggest that this season might be his last in the lucrative league. Notably, he has been part of every IPL season since its inception in 2008, joining the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and others in this exclusive club.

Having played for multiple franchises, including Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, and Kolkata Knight Riders, Karthik has displayed versatility and consistency throughout his IPL journey. He has also taken up leadership roles, captaining teams on several occasions, with a commendable record of 21 wins, 21 losses, and one tied match.