'He opened the field and said, "Let me see you hit it there"': Dinesh Karthik recalls facing Shane Warne during IPL 2009
Dinesh Karthik recalled facing Shane Warne in a match from the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League.
On March 4, 2022, the cricket fraternity was left shocked by the sudden demise of Australia great Shane Warne. The legendary former leg-spinner died at the age of 52 due to a suspected heart attack while on a vacation in Thailand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game, Warne ended a stellar international career with 708 Test wickets to his name – a world record at the time of his retirement in 2006.
Ever since his passing, cricketers – both former and current – paid rich tributes to Warne as they remembered their interactions and experiences on and off the field with the Aussie great. On Thursday, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik also recalled a memory of batting against the late cricketer during the 2009 Indian Premier League.
Warne had led the Rajasthan Royals to an incredible IPL title victory in the first season of the tournament, and was leading the franchise in the second edition as well.
“He was a larger-than-life personality. Whoever played with him will talk about his adventures on and off the field. He was a colorful personality and a great character. There are numerous fans of him mainly for his skills and his personality, and his ability to do special things,” Karthik said in a video posted by the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“I remember in South Africa in the second year of IPL, he was bowling and I had gone to bat. He said, 'Hey youngster, let me see what you've got'. So I was like, 'okay'. I was confident about playing spin bowling. He just opened up the field and said, 'Let me see you hit it there'. I was a young kid, so I flicked the ball and got a top edge back to him. He caught the ball, gave it a kiss and said, 'bye bye, see you',” Karthik recalled the incident.
Karthik was a part of the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) franchise in the 2009 season. Warne, meanwhile, represented the Royals for four seasons between 2008-2011.
