Unfortunately, Royal Challengers Bengaluru couldn’t continue with their successful journey in the IPL 2024 after suffering a defeat against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator of the tournament. RCB were on a six-match winning run, having revived their campaign from early defeats at the start of the tournament but they failed to maintain that rollicking run. 

Indian veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who played his last IPL game, wouldn’t have expected to have such a disappointing ending. Ahead of the IPL 2024, Karthik had hinted that it could be his last IPL. 

Dinesh Karthik received a guard of honour as the campaign for RCB ended after the defeat against RR. Karthik played few match-winning innings for RCB this season, finishing the season with 326 runs from 15 matches. Karthik, in a video posted on RCB’s social media, opened up about his time with RCB.

"RCB has been extraordinary. I think RCB basically means the fans. There is nothing else that I can think of, when I think of RCB. Yes, Virat Kohli is a very, very big name. And, it’s a very large part of RCB. But I think the fans are even bigger than that. Literally, because the amount of love I received. I, sometimes feel the 2022 T20 World Cup, when I did get picked, it was because of RCB fans. There was such a huge wave of people saying, ‘DK has to be there,’” Karthik said. 

"I will never forget it. To make a comeback at the age of 37, when I hadn’t played international cricket for quite a long time before that, I really feel RCB and RCB fans had played a very important part in that small episode of me going back and playing for country and representing India at the World Cup. I will always be thankful for them,” he said.

Karthik also had a lot to say about Virat Kohli. 

"Virat Kohli is probably one of the greatest sportsman to have ever played this sport. Arguably the most famous personality going around in the world of cricket. I have been an admirer of his."

"I will do anything I can for RCB, whenever possible. The fact that they have given me a new lease of life and I have played for them toward the fag end of my career is one that I will never forget," Dinesh Karthik said.