ROYALS BREAK NEW GROUND BY SIGNING FIRST INDIAN PLAYER DINESH KARTHIK

Betway SA20 will begin an exciting new adventure after Paarl Royals announced Dinesh Karthik as the first-ever Indian overseas player to participate in the competition. 

Karthik, 39, returns to South Africa after being part of the Indian team that won the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup back in 2007.

He represented India in 180 international matches across formats and registered 172 dismissals to his name through his sharp and reliable glovework behind the stumps. 

ALSO READ: Betway SA20 announce Karthik as a League Ambassador

In the T20 format alone for various teams, including in the IPL, Karthik has scored 7407 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.

"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," Karthik said. 

"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."

Welcoming Karthik to the franchise, Royals' Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara said:

"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 3. 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."

Karthik’s experience and ability behind the stumps will be invaluable to the Royals in Season 3 after England captain and gloveman Jos Buttler declared his unavailability due to his international commitments next year. 

Karthik was also unveiled as a Betway SA20 Ambassador this week where he will work closely with  the management team to help strengthen the League’s global fan base and reinforce brand awareness across key strategic markets in India and the United Kingdom.

Main image: ICC/Getty