“SA20 best after IPL,” Dinesh Karthik gives his verdict on best franchise-based league

"I genuinely believe this is the best comp after the IPL," said Dinesh Karthik while representing the Paarl Royals.

After announcing his retirement from Indian cricket and the IPL, Dinesh Karthik is currently playing in the SA20 2025. In SA20 history, Dinesh Karthik became the first Indian ever to feature in the league when he stepped out on the field for hosts Paarl Royals against Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the third match of the new season.

Dinesh Karthik also labelled the SA20 as the second-best league after the IPL, pointing out that he is amazed to see the talent in the competition.

SA20 second best after IPL: Dinesh Karthik

Wanted to play competitive cricket: Karthik on SA20

“A couple of reasons I joined this league. A) I genuinely believe this is the best comp after the IPL. So, I wanted to play some real competitive cricket, and I don’t think there is a better tournament than this. B) I always wanted to be part of the Royals setup. A lot of my friends played in the Royals setup, so when the offer came along, I was more than happy to accept it,” a wired-up Karthik told the commentators during the match.

“A lot of good talent out here. The first couple of days, when I came up here, I was pretty amazed to see how much talent is out here. Couple of guys not playing as well. Its a good squad, a good tournament, really looking forward to gelling with the boys here,” he added.

Speaking about his career in the IPL, Dinesh Karthik represented a number of teams in the IPL over the years. The veteran batter played his last season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru before announcing his retirement post the IPL 2024 edition.