Dinesh Karthik retires from all forms of competitive cricket on his 39th birthday
Chennai, Jun 1: Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik on Saturday announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket after two decades of playing for the country.
While his retirement was on cards after Royal Challengers Bengaluru's ouster from the IPL Eliminator, Karthik chose his 39th birthday to make his decision official.
"Having given plenty of thought for sometime now, I have decided to move on from playing competitive cricket. I officially announce my retirement and put my playing days behind me as I square up for the new challenges that lie ahead," Karthik wrote on 'X'.
Having represented the country in 180 games across three formats in which he scored 3463 runs with a lone Test hundred and 17 half-centuries, Karthik also had 172 dismissals to his credit, most of them behind the stumps with a few in the outfield.
He first walked into public imagination with his airborne stumping of Michael Vaughan in England under Sourav Ganguly in 2004 and last played for India in 2022 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma.
In between, he had played under Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
"I'd like to thank all my coaches, captains, selectors and members of the support staff, who have made this long journey pleasant and enjoyable," he wrote.
It's official 💖
— DK (@DineshKarthik) June 1, 2024
Thanks
DK 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/NGVnxAJMQ3
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Protests over rising prices spread across Iran as students join demonstrations
Tehran: Protests triggered by Iran’s worsening economic conditions spread to universities and commercial centres on Tuesday. Students joined shopkeepers and traders in demonstrations against soaring prices and the sharp fall of the national currency, according to semi-official media reports.
The unrest comes as the Iranian rial hit a record low, sliding to around 1.4 million against the US dollar on the open market, according to a Reuters. The currency has lost nearly half its value this year, while inflation reached 42.5 per cent in December, official data showed.
Semi-official Fars News Agency reported that hundreds of students staged protests at four universities in Tehran. Footage verified by Reuters showed groups of demonstrators marching through streets in the capital, chanting slogans, while state television broadcast images of gatherings in central areas of the city.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to engage with protesters and listen to what he described as their legitimate demands. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities would set up a dialogue mechanism that could include talks with protest leaders.
“We officially recognise the protests. We hear the voices of the people and understand that these demonstrations stem from pressure on livelihoods,” Mohajerani said in remarks carried by state media.
On social media platforms, several Iranians expressed support for the protests, warning that public anger over rising prices, corruption and economic inequality could spread further across the country.
Iran’s economy has been under strain for years following the reimposition of US sanctions in 2018 after Washington withdrew from the international nuclear agreement. United Nations sanctions were reinstated in September, and Reuters reported in October that senior officials had held multiple meetings to discuss ways to prevent economic collapse and manage public discontent.
President Pezeshkian, speaking at a meeting with trade unions and market representatives on Tuesday, said the government would make efforts to address economic grievances and ease concerns faced by workers and traders, according to state media.
On Monday, Iran’s central bank chief resigned, with local media linking the move to pressure on the currency market following recent economic liberalisation policies.
