Do you know the story of Dinesh Karthik’s lucky charm? Know how his life changed after 2015
After being betrayed by his first wife, RCB’s star player Dinesh Karthik found his lucky charm in 2015, when he married the international squash player Dipika Pallikal.
The current best finisher of Indian cricket, Dinesh Karthik has finally found his correct place. The wicket keeper-batsman had an in and out relation with the Indian team. Ever since MS Dhoni made his debut in international cricket, BCCI’s hunt for Rahul Dravid successor came to an end but other wicket-keepers lost their position in the team. But after facing sever struggles and taking a short break from cricket, Dinesh Karthik made a comeback worth remembering.
And on his 37th birthday, let us tell you the time when Dinesh Karthik’s worst nightmare came true. Currently, the world might be applauding the cricketer for his form but there was a time when his entire world came down. Dinesh Karthik who made his debut in Indian cricket team at the age of 22 years in 2004, married his childhood best friend Nikita Vanjara in 2007.
However, it was not a love marriage. Nikita and Dinesh’s father were friend and just like old Bollywood movie they decided to turn their friendship into something more. But fate had something else stored for them. Dinesh Karthik had to divorce his wife after she cheated on him with his best friend Murli Vijay. They were official separated in 2007, when she was pregnant with Vijay’s child.
Having betrayed so badly, the cricketer was devastated and even fell out of form for a while. However, being blessed with a real good friend, cricketer Abhishek Nayar, who held DK get back in form. Nayar travelled with DK and both sweated in gym-ground and won back their place in the Indian squad. Dinesh had a good run in the ODI as well and Indian Premiere League but his life turned upside down once again, but this time for the right reasons.
After being single for too long Dinesh Karthik got attracted to Indian Squad player Dipika Pallikal, who became his lucky charm. For those who don’t know Dipika Pallikal is the first Indian to break into the top 10 of World squash ranking (PSA). She also won the prestigious Arjuna Award at the age of 21 and later she also received the Padma Shree Award in 2014. She also scripted history by winning India’s first-ever gold at the Commonwealth Games 2014.
Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal used to train at the same gym however they never collided because the squash player likes to train early in the morning at 6. Dinesh chased Dipika for a while until she eventually agreed to meet him only once, as Dipika never liked cricketer as she believed that they take away all the limelight from other sports as well.
But She did find Dinesh interesting and ended up talking to him for four hours in the first meet. Later the same year, they got engaged and later in 2015, they got married in just the presence of their families and friends.
Ever since Karthik has also improved his game a lot. The couple also owns a luxurious house in Chennai and are neighbour to South superstar Rajnikanth. And this year Dinesh Karthik was again bought by RCB for 5.5 crores. DK was at his best and came like a storm by giving jitters to death overs bowlers in IPL 2022. He was not out for 10 times in 16 innings and was one of the major reasons why RCB could qualify for the play-offs.
The couple were blessed with twins, Kabir and Zain in October 2021 and in just six months of their birth, Dipika made a comeback in international squash and once again scripted history by winning the gold medal in 2012. However, sadly after achieving so much the athlete is only known as the wife of cricketer Dinesh Karthik.
Indian leg spinner Amit Mishra has criticised the decision to make Shubman Gill the captain of India’s T20 team.
In a podcast, Mishra said Gill has no idea of what it means to be a captain and is ignorant of the importance of the captain’s role. Mishra said he didn’t feel Gill could do justice to the responsibility of being a captain in the recently concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe.
He suggested Ruturaj Gaikwad was a better option. He said there is a sense that Gaikwad has been ignored by the BCCI and national selectors to support Gill. Even Gaikwad was overlooked as a backup player for the T20 World Cup 2024 and then for India’s captaincy in Zimbabwe.
Mishra didn’t hesitate in saying he wouldn’t have appointed Gill captain for the Zimbabwe series. He admitted the decision had surprised him.
Mishra clarified that he is not someone who hates Gill but believed that if someone was doing well that person deserved a chance and respect, like Gaikwad.
During the IPL, Mishra said Gaikwad as captain of Chennai Super Kings had scored vital runs in many different situations. He has the hallmark of a complete player and needs to be rewarded in ODIs and Tests as well.
Most important thing is that he brings calm to the team and doesn’t make such risky shots, Mishra said in his evaluation of the performances of Gill and Gaikwad in IPL matches.
Mishra said the other captaincy options were Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant. He said these three, including Gaikwad, are players who can lead India in T20Is.
The leggie also spoke on several other controversial topics including the row involving Sanjeev Goenka and KL Rahul during the IPL and the fraught dynamics between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.
A few days after India’s World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev’s appeal, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretay Jay Shah has instructed the cricket board to release Rs 1 crore with immediate effect to provide financial assistance to India’s veteran cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad, who is battling blood cancer.
According to BCCI Apex Council, Shah has also spoken to Gaekwad’s family and took stock of the situation and provided assistance.
In the statement, the Council has stated that the board stands by Gaekwad’s family in this hour of crisis and will do whatever is essential for Gaekwad’s quick recovery. The BCCI will continue to monitor Gaekwad’s progress and is confident that he will come out of this phase strongly, the BCCI Apex Council further said.
Earlier, speaking to a Sports channel, Kapil said that he had written to BCCI requesting to lend financial support to Gaekwad, who is battling blood cancer alone and said he is ready to donate his pension to help him.
He further said that his former teammates such as Mohinder Amarnath, Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Madan Lal, Ravi Shastri and Kirti Azad have been generating funds to help Gaikwad, who has been undergoing treatment for the past year at King’s College Hospital in London.
Kapil showed his confidence in the BCCI going to take a look into the matter and extend its help to support the former India head coach Gaekwad financially. Kapil said he was saddened and depressed because he had played alongside Gaekwad and couldn’t bear to see him in this situation. No one should suffer, he added.
The cricket legend said he knows the Board will take care of him and not compel anyone. Any help for Anshu should come from the heart. Kapil further said that Anshu took blows to his face and chest when standing up to some of the ferocious fast bowlers. “Now is the time for us to stand up for him. I am sure our cricket fans will not fail him. They should pray for his recovery,” Kapil added.
The Indian cricket team is not likely to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025. The BCCI told the media on Thursday that it will ask the ICC to host matches in Sri Lanka, Dubai in a hybrid model. The Indian team has not travelled to Pakistan since 2008 the two teams have played against each other only at multi team events. The last Asia Cup was hosted in Pakistan but India played all their matches in Sri Lanka under a Hybrid model which had been set by the organisers.
The Indian cricket team claimed that the Indian government has not granted permission to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup. The marquee tournament is scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025 (Reserve Day). Pakistan has not hosted any major international tournament since 1996, but in 2025 they will be hosting the Champions Trophy.
The two nations have not played bilateral cricket with each other since the 2012-2013 season. The ICC head of events Chris Tetley met the PCB chairman Naqvi in Islamabad and inspected the other arrangement. The Pakistan Cricket Board has allocated approximately Rs 17 billion for the upgradation of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi for 50 over Marquee Stadium, featuring over 8 teams.
According to reports the Pakistan Cricket Board had planned a match between India and Pakistan in Lahore on March 1, 2025 and the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Broad Mohsin Naqvi had submitted a report of the 15 matches. But the BCCI has not given any confirmation about the Champions Trophy since touring Pakistan is a big concern for the Indian government.
On May 6, Rajeev Shukla, the Vice President of the BCCI told the media that they will do whatever the Government of India tells them to do. He further added that they will send the Indian team only once they get permission from the government of India.
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