After retiring from Indian cricket, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik went on to play in South Africa’s T20 league, SA20. Although he had a slow start, Karthik’s bat gradually gained momentum as the league progressed. His contribution to his team, Paarl Royals, began to grow. As of now, Karthik has scored 128 runs in his first season of SA20. However, the performance of the IPL team’s Royal Challengers Bangalore mentor was not enough to take Paarl Royals to the finals. Now, the situation is such that Paarl Royals have one last chance to secure a ticket to the finals.
Paarl Royals’ Last Chance to Reach the Final
Dinesh Karthik’s team, Paarl Royals, had a chance to secure a direct ticket to the final by winning the SA20 Qualifier 1. However, in their match against Mumbai Indians Cape Town, Paarl Royals suffered a 39-run defeat, extending their wait to reach the final. Paarl Royals now have one last chance to reach the final. They will need to win Qualifier 2, where they will face the winner of the Eliminator match.
Vintage #DineshKarthik rolls back the years with
WATCH
https://t.co/Os5JvDRrTJ pic.twitter.com/TzenR0rBpt
— TOI Sports (@toisports) January 31, 2025
Karthik’s Contribution to SA20 League
Dinesh Karthik played all the matches of the season leading up to Qualifier 1 for Paarl Royals. His contribution in Qualifier 1 was 31 runs off 28 balls. This was his 7th innings in the 10 matches played so far this season. In those 7 innings, Dinesh Karthik scored 128 runs with 5 sixes and 12 fours, including a half-century.
Dinesh Karthik scored his first #SA20 fifty in Johannesburg, top-scoring for Paarl Royals
https://t.co/umB66Vao9J #JSKvPR pic.twitter.com/8qeK8eOBrM
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 30, 2025
Karthik’s performance started with 2 runs in his debut innings of SA20. He then scored 10 runs in the next match. After that, he played two unbeaten innings of 2 and 9 runs. In his last 3 innings in SA20, he scored 21, 53, and 31 runs, bringing his total to 128 runs in 7 innings.
South Africa – DK’s land of firsts!
@Stake | @StakeIND pic.twitter.com/Jm47QRAYuI
— Paarl Royals (@paarlroyals) February 6, 2025
Defeat Extended the Wait, but There’s Still a Chance
In Qualifier 1, Mumbai Indians Cape Town batted first and scored 199 runs for 4 wickets in 20 overs. In response, Paarl Royals could only manage 160 runs, losing the match. However, this defeat has only extended their wait to reach the final. They now have another chance to avenge their loss against Mumbai Indians Cape Town in Qualifier 2.