"You just wonder whether this is possibly his last tournament" - Tom Moody on Dinesh Karthik's disappointing IPL 2023 campaign 

Former Australian player Tom Moody believes that the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season could prove to be Dinesh Karthik's last tournament. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter had a campaign to forget, contributing only 140 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 134.62.

Karthik had a stunning campaign in 2022, which paved the way for his comeback in national colors. The player was part of the Team India squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup as well but is seemingly out of the selection scheme with the team looking to blood a younger team for the next edition of the tournament in 2024.

Opining that IPL 2023 could very well be Karthik's final endeavour as a player, Tom Moody said on ESPN Cricinfo:

"Dinesh Karthik had a very average tournament and you just wonder whether this is possibly his last tournament."

Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta believes that RCB should release Dinesh Karthik and groom Anuj Rawat as their first-choice wicketkeeper.

"I guess it boils down to whether DK wants to continue or not," Deep said. "I am sure if he wants to continue, he will find another franchise. I think Anuj Rawat has shown enough, maybe in glimpses, that he can do that job and they need to invest in him. He is a consistent performer in domestic cricket."

The Tamil Nadu-born player will turn 38 soon and only has franchise and domestic cricket to look forward to, should he continue his playing career alongside his broadcast aspirations.

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"What is still very obvious is this it seems to still be a gaping hole between No.4 and No.7" -Tom Moody on RCB's biggest concern

RCB failed to qualify for the playoffs following a defeat to the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) at home in the final league stage contest. The three-time finalist could not secure a win despite Virat Kohli's century that helped them post 197 in the first innings.

Tom Moody stated that RCB's middle order was the prime reason behind their downfall in this year's cash-rich league.

"Hasaranga had a season that is not to his standards or level that you would expect from him, and he carried an injury in the last few games as well," Moody said. "So, he did not have a chance to recover that at all with some good performances."

"But what is still very obvious is this it seems to still be a gaping hole between No.4 and No.7," he added. "Rawat showed promise, but I think you need to spend some time with him behind the stumps."

Will Dinesh Karthik be retained by RCB despite a poor IPL campaign? Let us know what you think.