Former Indian wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik has joined the Paarl Royals squad for the upcoming third edition of the South African franchise cricket league SA20. This move makes Karthik the first Indian player to participate in the tournament, following the decision of team captain Jos Buttler to opt out of this season.
Karthik, who recently retired from Indian cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the 2024 season, has also taken on the role of batting coach and mentor for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of IPL 2025. Additionally, he has been named as a brand ambassador for the SA20 league, alongside South African cricket legend AB de Villiers.
In his T20 career, Karthik has amassed 7407 runs in 401 matches, boasting an average of 27.13 and a strike rate of 136.96, including 34 half-centuries. His experience and skills will be crucial for the Paarl Royals, who are aiming for a stronger performance in SA20 2025. In the previous season, the Royals finished third on the points table with five wins out of ten matches, eventually being knocked out by the Jo’burg Super Kings in the Eliminator.
Jos Buttler Steps Out of SA20 2025 due to Workload Management
With Jos Buttler stepping back to manage his workload for England, Karthik is set to take on the role of the team’s frontline wicket-keeper. This move follows in the footsteps of other retired Indian cricketers like Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, and Robin Uthappa, who have participated in overseas T20 leagues.
Jos Buttler expressed his disappointment in a statement: “Hi everyone, Jos Buttler here. This is a message for all Paarl Royals fans. Disappointed that I would not be coming back to the SA20 this year. There are some England games on and that’s where all my focus will be. So yeah, it’s a shame that I won’t be coming back to the tournament.”
The Paarl Royals squad for SA20 2025 includes David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dinesh Karthik, Mitchell van Buuren, Codi Yusuf, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Dayyaan Galiem.
