Dinesh Karthik joins a new team as the captain after announcing retirement

Veteran India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik is set to play the Legends League Cricket 2024, which will be played in September this year. Karthik has been appointed the captain of Southern Superstars.

Karthik announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on June 1, 2024, just before the start of the T20 World Cup 2024, which was played in the West Indies and the USA.

His last professional match as an active cricketer was the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 eliminator match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals.

Karthik has joined another India veteran Shikhar Dhawan, who also announced that he will play Legends League Cricket this year. Dhawan also announced his retirement from all forms of cricket a few days ago.

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Dinesh Karthik will lead Southern Superstars in LLC 2024

A few days ago, Karthik revealed on Cricbuzz that he had a surprise for the fans and would be playing cricket. Finally, his surprise is out as he is set to lead his team Southern Superstars.

Big news for our fans 👀@DineshKarthik joins the #LegendsLeagueCricket and will take charge as captain of the @SSuper_Stars

Get ready for a blockbuster season 💥#BossLogonKaGame #LLCseason3 #DK #DineshKarthik pic.twitter.com/k3iCcCJmjr

— Legends League Cricket (@llct20) August 27, 2024

Dinesh Karthik was pleased to begin a new chapter in his life. He claimed that he is ready to play in the league both physically and mentally. He also thanked the fans for their support and hopes to provide them with good entertainment.

“Playing at the Legends League Cricket is definitely something I am looking forward to after my retirement. I am up to the task both mentally and physically and look forward to playing the brand of cricket I have always enjoyed. Most importantly, to the fans, thank you for your constant support and I hope to entertain you once again on the field,” Karthik stated.

Participating teams in Legends League Cricket

The six participating teams in the Legends League Cricket are Bhilwara Kings, Gujarat Giants, India Capitals, Manipal Tigers, Southern Superstars, and Urbanrisers Hyderabad. Manipal Tigers are the defending champions of the tournament as they defeated Urbanrisers Hyderabad in the final played at Surat last year.

The Legends League Cricket 2024 will be played between September 11 and October 5. The auction for the tournament will be held in New Delhi on August 29. Dinesh Karthik will also be playing the next season SA20 as he has already signed a deal with Paarl Royals.

Dinesh Karthik in IPL 2024

Dinesh Karthik was in superb form with the bat in IPL 2024 and played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's campaign to the playoffs. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 326 runs in 15 matches at an average of 36.22 and a strike rate of 187.35.

The 29-year-old has established himself as a destructive finisher in the last few years after starting his career mostly as a top-order batter. He also played a no. of match-winning knocks for India, most famously in the Nidahas Trophy 2018 final against Bangladesh.