Dinesh Karthik is set to become the first Indian to play in the SA20 after signing for the Paarl Royals.
The 39-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman had announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in June.
Karthik, who is known for his role as a finisher in white-ball cricket, had a stellar international career for India, being part of the team’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy wins.
He represented India in 180 international matches across all formats and registered 172 dismissals through his sharp and reliable glovework behind the stumps.
In the T20 format, Karthik has scored 7,407 runs in 401 matches at a strike rate of 136.96, which shows the consistency with which he has played the game for over two decades.
“DK” last played competitive cricket during this year’s IPL for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, scoring 326 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 187.36.
“Dinesh has served as one of the modern-day greats for India in white-ball cricket, and his wealth of experience will contribute to the making of our side for season three [of the SA20],” said Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara.
“He has always proved to be a great asset for the teams he’s represented across leagues for the way he approaches the game and the impact he can make, so it’s an exciting signing for us and we look forward to having him with the group at Paarl.”
On the prospect of returning to cricket and playing in the SA20, Karthik said: “I have so many fond memories of playing in and visiting South Africa, and when this opportunity came about, I couldn’t say no because of how special it would be to come back to playing competitive cricket and win this incredible competition with the Royals.
“Even though I didn’t have the chance to represent the Royals in the IPL, to me it was always a franchise setup and environment that was very attractive as a player.
“I am delighted to be joining the Paarl Royals team which oozes a lot of experience, quality and potential. I am certainly looking forward to joining the group and contributing to what should be an exciting season.”
The Paarl Royals will have a formidable squad going into the auction, with captain David Miller, Joe Root, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Mitchell van Buuren, Codi Yusuf, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuandre Pretorius and Dayyaan Galiem among the players who have signed for the 2025 season.
