IPL 2021: Dinesh Karthik on cusp of joining MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers in elite list

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik is on the cusp of joining an elite list of cricketers in the Indian Premier League. Karthik is just 54 runs away from reaching 4,000 runs in the cash-rich tournament. If former Kolkata skipper achieves the milestone in tonight's game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he will become the 11th player in the history of the IPL to reach the feat. Karthik has secured 3,946 runs from 203 IPL matches, in which he has scored at an average of 26.13. 

Only seven Indian players and three overseas cricketers are ahead of Karthik in terms of most runs scored in the IPL. Indian skipper Virat Kohli tops this list with 6,076 runs. Kohli is the only batsman with more than 6,000 runs in the IPL. Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina are second and third on the list with 5,577 and 5,495 runs, respectively. Sunrisers Australian player David Warner, Protea batsman AB de Villiers, and West Indies legend Chris Gayle are the only overseas cricketers on the list. Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni occupies the eighth position on the list with 4,672 runs followed by Robin Uthappa (4,607 runs), and  Gautam Gambhir (4,217 runs).

Karthik in IPL

As far as Karthik's IPL career is concerned, his best season with the bat came in 2013, when he scored a whopping 510 runs for his former franchise Mumbai Indians. Karthik scored two half-centuries in the season. Karthik's next best season with the bat came after a gap of five years in 2018 when he scored 498 runs in 16 games for KKR, leading the side to the playoffs as a captain. Karthik's consistency with the bat in recent years has been a major point of concern for KKR, who will be hoping for the wicketkeeper-batsman to explode this season given that they need at least six wins to qualify for the knockout stage. 

Dinesh Karthik has scored 123 runs in 8 matches so far in IPL 2021, which has come at an average of 30.75. Karthik will look to switch his gears for the second phase with seven more games to go, including the one he is playing right now in the UAE. KKR and RCB are currently locking horns in Abu Dhabi in the 31st match of the season. RCB skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first against KKR. At the time of publishing this copy, RCB is batting at 19-1 in 2.5 overs.  

Image: iplt20.com