NEW DELHI: Former Sri Lankan cricket legend and Rajasthan Royals' Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, hailed ex-India wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik as one of the best finishers in T20 cricket worldwide.
The 39-year-old Karthik, who had announced retirement from all forms of cricket earlier in June, became the first-ever Indian to participate in the SA20, scheduled from January 9 to February 8.
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. He played his last competitive cricket during this year's IPL for RCB, where he played a crucial role in the team's playoff qualification, scoring 326 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 187.36.
Speaking after the players auction, Sangakkara expressed his satisfaction with the players acquired and said, "We pretty much got our first pick, our first choices. We only had a couple of slots to fill. The auction itself, as always with Graeme (Smith) at the head of it, was very enjoyable. But at the same time, I think all sides will be happy with how it was conducted, including the regulations and the players."
Discussing the replacements for Jos Buttler and the addition of Joe Root and Karthik, Sangakkara emphasised their importance to the squad, said, "It's very important. Joe Root is not just an incredibly experienced and capable player; what he adds to the team in terms of knowledge, experience, and how he invests himself into the team and connects with other players is magnificent. I saw this first-hand when he joined us in the IPL."
"Dinesh Karthik, again, is fantastic at the back end of an innings. He's explosive, capable, and one of the best finishers in T20 cricket worldwide. His presence and experience are crucial. With Jos leaving, who typically excels at the top, we've managed to split that responsibility between two different players, both equally capable and devastating. I think we've got a better balance than we had last time, " he added.
Karthik had a stellar international career for India, being part of the team's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2007 and ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2013 wins. He represented India in 180 international matches across formats and registered 172 dismissals to his name behind the stumps.
When asked about young South African talent like Kwena Maphaka in the Paarl Royals squad, Sangakkara noted the importance of nurturing youth and said, "We have Kwena, and now we have Lhuan-dre Pretorius as well. Even with the rookies, it's vital to have two aspirations: one is, of course, to win and have the best side performing at the highest level; the other is your service to the country you’re playing in—this being the SA20 league.
"The idea is to produce the best players possible, not just for your team, but also for the benefit of the national team. We have a similar philosophy in the IPL, where we focus on developing players for our benefit and the national team."
Paarl Royals will begin their SA20 campaign against Sunrisers Eastern Cape on January 11.