Ravi Shastri never misses a moment to stir up some friendly banter, and this time, it was Dinesh Karthik who found himself on the receiving end. During a recent Sky Sports podcast, Shastri cheekily trolled Karthik for waxing lyrical about Shubman Gill’s early promise during their time at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) — even though Gill was later released by the franchise under Karthik’s leadership.
Gill, who was picked by KKR straight after his standout 2018 U-19 World Cup campaign, was widely tipped to be the next batting sensation. But in the fast-paced world of T20 cricket, his adaptation took time.
By 2021, Gill had scored 478 runs at a decent average of 28.12 but at a modest strike rate of 118.9. With Venkatesh Iyer’s meteoric rise as an all-rounder that same year, KKR opted to release Gill ahead of the 2022 season — a move that would come back to haunt them.
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During the podcast, Dinesh Karthik reminisced about Gill’s growth, saying, “He came in at KKR when I was leading. He initially batted down the order but was always respectful and focused. One day he came up and said, ‘DK bhai, I think I can open now.’ That moment showed me his hunger. He got a big score in his very first outing as opener.”
That’s when Shastri swooped in with his signature dry wit, adding: “And then DK released him the next year!”
Gill’s release, of course, turned into Gujarat Titans’ gain. The youngster not only played a key role in their 2022 IPL title win but also rose to captaincy in 2023.
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Interestingly, while Venkatesh Iyer had his moment in 2021, his form dwindled. Despite a few clutch knocks in KKR’s 2024 title run, a mega ₹23.75 crore retention in 2025 proved costly, as he was benched mid-season following inconsistent performances. In hindsight, it seems Shubman Gill’s exit might have been a bigger loss for KKR than they had anticipated — and Ravi Shastri, as always, was happy to highlight it with a smirk.
