'I was picked for the 2022 World Cup because..': Dinesh Karthik reflects on debatable India call-up

RCB star Dinesh Karthik lauded the enormous and loyal fanbase of the franchise, after what appears to be his final match before retiring from all forms of cricket. Karthik's illustrious career seems to have concluded following RCB's loss to RR in the Eliminator of the IPL 2024. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter emphasized the crucial role that RCB fans' support played throughout his career. The 38-year-old believes that the vocal backing from the fanbase was instrumental in securing his spot in the India squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup.

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Dinesh Karthik on his World Cup 2022 call-up

Since RCB acquired him during the IPL 2022 mega auction for Rs 5.5 crore, Dinesh Karthik emerged as a key figure in the franchise. RCB's fanbase has consistently stood out among other teams in the cash-rich tournament, notably for their robust social media engagement and the electrifying atmosphere at their home ground, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In a recent special video shared on the franchise's official social media platforms, Karthik reminisced about his journey with RCB and his interactions with the passionate fan community.

"I think RCB basically means the fans. There is nothing else that I can think of when I think RCB. Yes, Virat Kohli is a very, very big name and he is a large part of RCB. But, I think the fans are bigger than that," Karthik said.

"The amount of love that I received... I sometimes think that I was picked for the 2022 World Cup because of RCB's fans. There was such a huge wave of people saying 'DK has to be there'. I will never forget it. To make a comeback at the age of 37 when I hadn't played international cricket for long time before that, I really feel RCB and RCB fans have played a very important part in the small phase where I played for my country," Karthik added.

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Karthik in T20 World Cup 2022

After his last appearance in the 2007 edition of the T20 World Cup, Karthik's selection for the 2022 World Cup squad was perceived as a resurgence in his batting prowess in the format. However, despite his impressive performance in that year's IPL, the wicketkeeper-batter failed to maintain his form during the tournament, mustering only 14 runs across four innings before eventually being dropped for the rest of the competition.