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Xtra Time Web Desk: Dinesh Karthik, the veteran wicketkeeper-batter and a notable figure in Indian cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL), announced his retirement from all forms of representative cricket on June 1, coinciding with his 39th birthday. The decision came after considerable contemplation and followed an emotional farewell during Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) final IPL 2024 match on May 22. In that match, RCB faced a loss against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

 Karthik, who has had an illustrious career both in domestic and international cricket, shared his retirement announcement on social media, making it 'official'. Despite receiving a wave of congratulatory messages after RCB's last match, Karthik took his time to reflect before making the final decision to retire.

 His departure marks the end of an era for many fans and fellow cricketers who have followed his journey through the ups and downs of his career, both in the IPL and for India on the international stage.

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"I've been overwhelmed by the affection, support and love I have received in the last few days. My deepest gratitude and sincere thanks to all the fans who have made this feeling possible," Karthik said in his statement.

"Having given it plenty of thought for sometime now, I have decided to move on from playing representative cricket. I officially announce my retirement and put my playing days behind me as I square up for the new challenges that lie ahead."

Karthik shared a collage of photos from his playing days with his retirement post. Karthik played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 60 T20Is for India between 2004 and 2022 in a career that spanned 19 years. Notably, Karthik had made his international debut before MS Dhoni, but had a stop-start career at the highest level due to the latter's consistent run.

It's official ????

Thanks
DK ???????? pic.twitter.com/NGVnxAJMQ3

— DK (@DineshKarthik) June 1, 2024

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DINESH KARTHIK RETIRES: FULL STATEMENT

"I'd like to thank all my coaches, captains, selectors, teammates and members of the support staff who have made this long journey pleasant and enjoyable. Among the millions that play the sport in our country, I consider myself among the lucky few to have had the chance to represent the nation, and luckier still to have earned the goodwill of so many fans and friends.

"My parents have been pillars of strength and support over all these years, and I wouldn't be what I am without their blessings. I also owe plenty to Dipika, herself a professional sportsperson who often put her career on hold to walk my journey with me.

"Of course, to all the fans and followers of our great game, a massive thank you! Cricket and cricketers, wouldn't be the same without your support and good wishes."

Despite having been in and out of the senior national team, Dinesh Karthik never lost hope and kept coming back, earning the selectors' attention, more often than not.

Karthik is part of the T20 World Cup commentary panel, having established himself as one of the sought-after voices behind the mic over the last few years.

Karthik scored 1025 runs in Tests, 1752 runs in ODIs and 686 runs in T20Is with a century to his name. Karthik returned to the Test team in 2018 after an eight-year gap and played 3 Tests for India that year, underlining his ability to keep working hard on his skills.

His white-ball comebacks have been even more special. After the 2019 World Cup heartbreak, it looked like Karthik's international career was all but over. However, after a sensational IPL in 2022, Karthik returned to the senior national team and even played the T20 World Cup that year. Karthik played 28 T20Is in 2022.

Karthik attributed his comeback to RCB, thanking the franchise for the support in the IPL 2022 season in which he scored 330 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 183.