NEWS
Follow UsKumar Sangakkara, Director of Cricket of the Rajasthan Royals, the parent franchise of Paarl Royals (SA20), called Dinesh Karthik a “fantastic” addition to their squad for the upcoming edition of SA 20, South Africa's premium domestic T20 tournament.
Paarl signed Karthik and Joe Root as their overseas players much before the auction on October 1. The Royals will be without Jos Buttler at the top of the order in the 2024/25 season, who will be busy with national duties. In his absence, Sangakkara stated that both Karthik and Root could compensate.
"Dinesh Karthik is fantastic at the back end of an innings. He's explosive, capable, and one of the best finishers in T20 cricket worldwide. His presence and experience are crucial,” Sangakkara said after the auction.
“With Jos leaving, who typically excels at the top, we've managed to split that responsibility between two different players, both equally capable and devastating. I think we've got a better balance than we had last time," he further added on Karthik’s role.
Karthik will be the first Indian player to play in this competition. The third edition of the tournament will run from January 9 to February 8, 2025. He became eligible to play T20 leagues overseas post his retirement from international as well as the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket.
Karthik found a second life in his career after taking up the finisher’s role in IPL. Since 2018 in IPL, he batted 84 of his 100 innings at number five or below, averaging 25.3 but at an impactful strike rate of 154.1. In his most recent three-year-long stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Karthik scored 796 runs at an average of 29.5 and strike rate of 173.5.
About Root, Sangakkara said, “Joe Root is not just an incredibly experienced and capable player; what he adds to the team in terms of knowledge, experience, and how he invests himself into the team and connects with other players is magnificent. I saw this first-hand when he joined us in the IPL.”
Root played under Sangakkara’s guidance before. He was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for the 2023 season of the IPL. Root was benched for most part of the season and played only three games. However, he was with the team for major part of the tournament.
The Royals finished third on the points table in the previous edition of SA20. David Miller is expected to continue leading the side and Sangakkara is hopeful that the team can travel that extra mile to clinch the trophy.
"It's about recognizing the big moments and being ready to perform. With the South African contingent and David Miller as captain, who has been amazing for us, the key is getting the players to step up in crucial moments. Skill is just one part of the game; executing that skill under pressure when the tournament is on the line is the second part. That comes down to mental makeup and adaptability. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to convert those moments in the past, but I believe we are better equipped this year," the former Sri Lankan cricketer added.
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