Former India player Murali Vijay gave an emotional tribute to Dinesh Karthik and other Tamil Nadu players at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) Annual Day.
Vijay pinpointed the Tamil Nadu legends and their impact on his career, and quite remarkably brought out Dinesh Karthik in his speech.
Vijay and Karthik were embroiled in a personal life issue and the pair were supposedly not on talking terms with each other. Now, the recent admission from Vijay and the tribute to his former teammate may be an attempt to bury the hatchet, but Vijay seemed emotional while speaking about Karthik as a chief guest of the event.
"Then I got to talk about Dinesh Karthik. It might be a little weird, but I have seen him since my childhood. One of Tamil Nadu's
best cricketers, I think, batsman-keeper ever," Vijay said.
"That's how I feel. He is a dynamic personality, a dear friend. But I enjoyed him as a fan because I have played many times in non-striker end. I have not seen anybody play like him. He is a fantastic cricketer. He has helped me a lot with his knowledge. And I really want to thank him for that now," he added.
M. Vijay @mvj888 turned emotional while speaking about his former teammates, including @DineshKarthik & @ashwinravi99 at the @TNCACricket Annual Day.
"I want to talk about Dinesh Karthik. It might sound a little weird, but I've known him since my childhood. He is a dynamic… pic.twitter.com/hqA5OiQYZN- Santhosh Kumar (@giffy6ty) July 4, 2026
What is the Tension between Murali Vijay and Dinesh Karthik?
The fallout between former India cricketers Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay remains one of the most talked-about personal controversies in Indian cricket. The tension dates back to the early 2010s and stemmed from Vijay's relationship with Karthik's then-wife, Nikita Vanjara.
At the time, Karthik and Vijay were teammates for both Tamil Nadu and the Indian national team. Karthik was married to Nikita, but their relationship reportedly broke down after she became involved with Vijay. The episode eventually led to Karthik and Nikita divorcing, after which Nikita married Vijay. The incident created a major rift between the two cricketers and attracted widespread media attention, although neither player publicly engaged in prolonged exchanges over the matter.
Karthik gradually rebuilt both his personal and professional life. In 2015, he married Indian squash champion Dipika Pallikal, and the couple later welcomed twin sons. Professionally, Karthik enjoyed a remarkable resurgence, representing India across formats and becoming one of the country's most dependable finishers in white-ball cricket. He is currently the coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and also works as an expert for the media.
