Dinesh Karthik joins Sharjah Warriorz in ILT20

Sharjah, Sep 30 (PTI) Former India wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik on Tuesday joined Sharjah Warriorz ahead of the fourth season of the International League T20 (ILT20).

Karthik replaced Sri Lankan wicketkeeper batter Kusal Mendis in the Warriorz squad, which is coached by former South African cricketer JP Duminy.

“I am very excited to be joining the Sharjah Warriorz team for the DP World ILT20 tournament. I know they are a young team, aspiring to do some special things, and I am happy to be here.

“Sharjah is also one of those iconic stadiums one always wants to play at. And to be a part of the franchise Sharjah Warriorz, makes a dream come true,” Karthik said in a release.

For Karthik, it's an expansion of his T20 portfolio as the Chennai cricketer was a part of the Paarl Royals in the SA20 earlier this year, where he made 97 runs in six innings.

Karthik is also a part of the think-tank of IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru as their batting coach.

At RCB, Karthik had worked closely with the big-hitting Australian Tim David, who is one of the overseas players for the Sharjah Warriorz.

Warriorz head coach Duminy said, “Dinesh Karthik is one of the most experienced hands and an incredibly innovative mind when it comes to T20 cricket, and I am chuffed to have him in our corner for the upcoming edition of the DP World ILT20.

“The whole world has seen what he is capable of with the bat, and his explosive batting, dynamic personality, and immense experience will surely benefit the younger players significantly during the course of the tournament.” On the playing front, in a career that panned across two decades, Karthik has played 412 T20 games, amassing 7,437 runs, with 35 half-centuries at a strike-rate of 136.66.

For India, he played 60 T201 matches for 686 runs at a strike-rate of 142.61. PTI UNG APA APA