NEW DELHI:
Virat Kohli
has paid a heartfelt tribute to
Dinesh Karthik
, who announced his retirement at the end of
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
's IPL 2024 campaign. Kohli described Karthik as a wise and honest person who provided invaluable support during his struggles in the 2022 season.
Karthik, 38, joined RCB from Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022 for his second stint after 2015 and played his final IPL match on Wednesday when RCB were eliminated by Rajasthan Royals in the playoffs.
"Off the field, I have had some really nice and interesting conversations with him. He is a wise man, and has great knowledge about a lot of things, not just cricket," Kohli said in a special tribute video posted by RCB.
The tribute video, lasting a little over 11 minutes, features messages from Karthik's wife, Dipika Pallikal Karthik; his personal mentor, Abhishek Nayar; RCB assistant coach, Malolan Rangarajan; and fitness coach, Shanker Basu.
Kohli reminisced about the challenging 2022 season when he averaged just 22.73, scoring 341 runs from 16 matches as RCB missed out on reaching the final, losing to Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with him. Even in that phase in 2022 when I did not have a great IPL season, I was really struggling for confidence," Kohli recalled. "He sat me down a couple of times and just gave me a very honest explanation of how he saw things and maybe I am not able to see them myself."
A seasoned campaigner in the IPL, Karthik has participated in every edition of the league since its inception in 2008 and has represented six franchises, including leading KKR to the playoffs in 2018. He concluded his IPL career with 4,842 runs in 257 matches, including 22 fifties.
"I just like his honesty, his courage to go and speak to anyone about things that he really feels about. And that, I think, is the most special thing for me when it comes to Dinesh. And that's something that I've always cherished about him. And that's why we get along really, really well," Kohli added.
Karthik's contributions to RCB and the broader cricketing community have left a lasting impact, with his wisdom and mentorship being particularly valued by teammates and fans alike. His retirement marks the end of an illustrious IPL career, but his legacy within the sport will endure.
(With inputs from PTI)
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