Dinesh Karthik Wife, Dipika Pallikal Wiki, Bio, Family, Career

Updated - 07 Jan 2021, 02:19 PM

Dinesh Karthik (L) with Dipika Pallika (credits - Twitter)

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Dipika Pallikal Karthik, Dinesh Karthik wife, is a professional player of squash. However, she holds a slight connection with cricket too. Dipika Pallikal Karthik happens to be the second wife of India’s veteran keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik. But this is not to say that Dipika has not made strides in squash as she is one of the most notable players in the field.

Three years after his international debut in 2007, Dinesh Karthik got married to Nikita Vanjara and divorced five years later. And the same year, it emerged that Dinesh Karthik wife, Nikita had married Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik’s teammate in Tamil Nadu. The following year in November, Dinesh Karthik got engaged to Dipika Pallikal. The pair tied knots in 2015 in both traditional Christian and Hindu ceremonies.

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Dinesh Karthik First Wife Nikita Vanjara, Nikita Vijay
Dinesh Karthik with his first wife Nikita.

Dinesh Karthik And Dipika Pallikal’s Love Story:

According to a report, Dinesh Karthik wife, Dipika Pallikal hated cricketers initially as she believed cricketers get the sort of hype that belittles other sportspersons in India. Dinesh and Dipika met each other at a gymnasium as they took fitness sessions under the same coach, Basu. In one of her interviews, Dipika revealed that their first meeting was a casual one during a marathon five years ago and then bumped into each other at the gym.

“We got to know each other at the gym, but there was nothing more, contrary to what most media reports seem to suggest. In fact, the first time we met was at a marathon some five years ago. After that, we met at the gym and, if I remember, I left for practice without even saying bye to him. Slowly we got to know each other,” Dipika stated.

It was only in February 2013 that the turning point in their relationship followed. While Dipika was training in Leeds in England, Dinesh Karthik came all the way there to visit her. She got impressed by his move and the 35-year old tried his hand in squash too and Dipika revealed that he plays well. Dinesh Karthik wife, Dipika Pallikal has also attended several IPL matches, featuring Karthik.

Dinesh Karthik Wife Dipika Pallikal
Dipika Pallikal. (Credits: Twitter)

It was February 2013, and I had just won a tournament in Canada while Dinesh was playing domestic cricket in India. I went to Leeds (England) to train for a week and I found him there, coming all the way to see me. That was when I fell for him, realising not many would do something like that. He used to watch me train at the academy and even tried his hand at squash. He played much better than I thought,” the 29-year old claimed.

How Dinesh Karthik Proposed His Wife Dipika Pallikal?

Dinesh Karthik proposed Dipika after India won the 2013 Champions Trophy in London by beating England. Later in November, the couple made their relationship official with an engagement ceremony in Chennai amid their families and close friends. Both Dinesh and Dipika spoke of their relationship in detail in one of the interviews, claiming that things had moved fast but it only did for the better.

“I agree things have moved really fast, but it has happened for our good. Both of us have busy careers ahead and we wanted to formalise our relationship with the engagement. It always helps when you understand each other’s needs as a sportsperson but we generally don’t talk at length about our sports. Both of us are close to our families and like spending time with them. We are not really party people and like to hang around with close friends,” she added.

Dinesh Karthik Wife Dipika Pallikal’s Achievements In The World Of Squash:

Dinesh Karthik wife, Dipika Pallikal remains the first Indian player to enter the top ten in the PSA (Professional Squash Association) women rankings. The 29-year old won her first three titles in at the Orange County Open and at the Dread Sport Series in the USA while the third arrived Crocodile Challenge Cup in Hong Kong. Dipika Pallikal was an integral part of the Indian squash team that finished within top five in the Women’s World Team Squash Championship in 2012.

In their upsurge, India beat higher-ranked teams like Ireland and Netherlands while Padikkal defeated players like Madeline Perry in the tournament. In February 2013, the 29-year old snared her sixth WSA title of her career by outplaying Hong Kong’s Joey Chan in the final of Pharmacy Open in the Canadian city of Winnipeg.

Dipika Pallikal, Dinesh Karthik
Dipika Pallikal. (Credits: Twitter)

Dipika Pallikal Karthik Has Had A Glorious Run In The Last Few Years:

In 2012, Dinesh Karthik wife Dipika Pallikal became the first female squash player to earn the Arjuna Award. The 2014 Commonwealth games saw her winning squash women’s doubles gold medal alongside Joshna Chinappa, making it India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games medal in the sport.

At the February 2016 South Asian Games, she was part of the gold medal-winning Indian Women’s team; however, suffered a defeat in the first round of the 2016 PSA Women’s World Championship in April. In May 2016, Dipika Pallikal she snapped the silver medal with the women’s team at the Asian Team Championship in Taipei.

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The same year the government awarded her Padma Shri for her accomplishments in squash. Pallikal went on to conquer the Australian Open in 2016. She also bagged a silver medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the doubles and the mixed doubles category. Dipika has her training sessions at ICL-TNSRA Academy at Chennai under Cyrus Poncha and Major S. Maniam. Six-time World Champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald is her coach to whom she attributes most of her success.

Dinesh Karthik Wife’s Support In His Cricketing Journey:

As for Dinesh Karthik, the 34-year old cricketer has featured in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 32 T20Is. Karthik made his international debut in 2004. But he fell out of favour as MS Dhoni rose into the pecking order and left behind all other potential contenders in the format. Yet, it is worth admitting that Karthik has been consistent in the limited chances that he got. Dinesh Karthik wife Dipika Pallikal has forever been by his side.

Dinesh Karthik, Dipika Pallikal
Dinesh Karthik (Credits: Twitter)

He last played for the national team in the 2019 World Cup semi-final. Wherein, he managed only a single-figure score. Since then, the Tamil Nadu-born keeper-batsman has not earned the nod in any of the formats. A burgeoning performance in the 2021 edition of IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders could put him back in the reckoning to represent India in the T20 World Cup later that year.

FAQs About Dinesh Karthik Wife:

Who is Dinesh Karthik first wife?

Nikita Vanjara is Dinesh Karthik’s first wife. Now, Nikita Vijay is her full name. She later married Murali Vijay, Karthik’s former teammate.

Is Dinesh Karthik married?

Yes, Dinesh Karthik married twice. He first tied knots with Nikita Vanjara on May 2, 2007. Then he married Dipika Pallikal on August 18, 2015.

Does Dinesh Karthik have a son?

Dinesh Karthik does not have any child so far. His first wife, Nikita Vanjara was pregnant when they were divorced. Later, the child happened to be of Murali Vijay.

Who is Murali Vijay’s wife?

Murali Vijay married Dinesh Karthik’s first wife, Nikita Vanjara. The couple tied the knot in 2012.