'Iska thank you hi hai' - Dinesh Karthik reveals how Hardik Pandya sledged him in IPL 2024

Even in a tournament as fiercely competitive as the IPL, a lively atmosphere of camaraderie and banter invariably thrives throughout the event, particularly during match breaks and interludes. Royal Challengers Bengaluru' wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik recounted some instances of sledging endured in his career, citing some playful encounters with the likes of Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma.

The 38-year-old Karthik, who has accumulated 4842 runs in 234 innings in the IPL, recounted an incident from the clash against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, when MI skipper Hardik approached him and suggested that he would gift his wicket away as Pandya had introduced a leg-spinner. After Karthik played a few shots, Hardik cheekily remarked that the former has improved his skillset despite spending considerable time in the commentary box.

"Hardik Pandya sledged me saying, 'Abhi leg-spinner aaya, iska thank you hi hai' [now a leg spinner will come, and it is Thank You time]. Then, I had to play a couple of shots, and then he was like, 'theek hai, lag raha thoda improve hogaya hai' [looks like he's improved a bit]. That was good. He's a good friend. He was also like, 'commentator banke bhi thoda kaam kar raha hai' [even after becoming a commentator, he's working on his game]. That was fun," Karthik told Cricbuzz.

Karthik also shed light on Rohit Sharma's playful banter from the same game, as the latter quipped that Karthik was performing with an eye on the T20 World Cup berth (the squad was yet to be finalised).

Rohit Sharma was heard saying, "World Cup ke selection ke liye push karna hai isey, dimaag mein chal raha hai World Cup (he's aiming for a place in the World Cup squad, the thoughts of the World Cup are scurrying in his mind)".

Karthik, who notched up 326 runs in 13 innings with two half-centuries this year, bid adieu to the IPL, having confirmed before the start of the tournamernt that the 2024 edition would be his last.