Dinesh Karthik blessed with his third child [Source: @cricket_widlove/X.com]Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik achieved a significant personal milestone as his wife, Dipika Pallikal, announced the birth of the couple’s third child. The duo welcomed a baby daughter and publicly announced her name.Dinesh married Dipika, an international squash athlete, in an intimate ceremony in 2015. The power couple were earlier blessed with twin boys, Kabir and Zian. Dinesh Karthik, Dipika Pallikal blessed with a baby girlOn March 19, Dipika Pallikal announced the arrival of their little bundle of joy. She confirmed being blessed with a baby girl and named her ‘Raaha Pallikal Karthik.’She is now the younger sister of their twin sons, Kabir and Zian, who were born in 2021. This is a personal, family update, but it draws attention because both parents are well-known sports personalities in India.Dinesh Karthik is a former India wicketkeeper-batter with a long international career across all formats. After retirement, he transitioned into coaching and commentary. He is currently a part of RCB’s coaching staff as a batting coach/mentor. As for Dipika Pallikal, she ranks among India’s greatest squash players. She was the first Indian woman to break into the top 10 world rankings.Dipika is also a medallist at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and a Padma Shri awardee.Also Read - Dinesh Karthik Calls Out England Commentators’ Hypocrisy For India After Pakistan ExitDinesh Karthik’s fairytale love story with DipikaInterestingly, Dinesh Karthik was previously married to his childhood friend Nikita. But the couple got divorced in 2012, and Nikita married another Indian cricketer, Murali Vijay. Later, Dinesh crossed paths with Dipika Pallikal at a marathon, and they kept bumping into each other at the same gym, training under a common coach. Initially, it was just a casual friendship which developed into love through regular interactions.The turning point of their relationship came in 2013 when Dipika was training in Leeds, England, and Dinesh Karthik flew there just to meet her. That gesture changed everything, and she later said that’s when she truly fell for him.Karthik reportedly proposed in London, and the couple got engaged in 2013 after about a year of dating. Their wedding was equally unique, as it had two ceremonies, a Christian wedding and a traditional Telugu wedding.Karthik to help RCB defend the title in IPL 2026On the professional front, Dinesh Karthik is all set to help RCB defend its title in the upcoming IPL 2026 season. He will continue to serve as batting coach and mentor.His role will revolve around assisting the squad with technique, match situations and finishing roles. That being said, Andy Flower will continue to be the head coach. Omkar Salvi and Malolan Rangarajan will serve as bowling and fielding coaches, respectively.RCB won its maiden title last year after a tiring wait of 18 years. This year, they’ll aim to defend the trophy under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar.Also Read - Josh Hazlewood Out; RCB's Probable Bowling Attack For IPL 2026 Initial Matches
