Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli expressed his gratitude to teammate Dinesh Karthik for his support and motivation during a challenging period in the IPL 2022 season. Kohli, who faced a slump in form during that season, acknowledged Karthik’s role in helping him regain his confidence.
Kohli’s Struggles in IPL 2022
In IPL 2022, Kohli experienced one of the toughest phases of his illustrious career. He recorded three ducks and managed only 341 runs from 16 matches, averaging around
22 with a strike rate of 115.98. This period of struggle was marked by a significant dip in form for the usually consistent Kohli, who is known for his prolific run-scoring ability.
Karthik’s Support and Guidance
Kohli praised Karthik for his wisdom and calm demeanor, which played a crucial role in boosting his morale. Recalling the times they spent together, Kohli mentioned how Karthik’s honest and insightful conversations helped him see things from a different perspective.
“During the tough times in 2022, Dinesh sat me down a couple of times and gave me a very honest explanation of how he saw things, which maybe I wasn’t able to see myself,” Kohli said in a video on RCB’s social media. He highlighted Karthik’s courage to speak his mind and his deep knowledge about cricket and other subjects, which made their conversations meaningful and supportive.
Their Journey Together
Kohli reminisced about his first impression of Karthik during the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa. Describing Karthik as hyperactive and amusing, Kohli noted that over the years, Karthik had grown wiser and more composed. Despite this growth, Kohli stated that Karthik’s talent as a batter remained as brilliant as ever.
“First time I met DK, I found him to be very amusing and hyper-active. But as years passed, he has become wiser and calmed down a lot. His talent as a batter has always been outstanding,” Kohli remarked.
Karthik’s IPL Career and Legacy
Dinesh Karthik, who recently concluded his IPL journey, had a commendable run with RCB. In the last season, he scored 326 runs from 15 games at an average of 36.22, including two half-centuries and a top score of 83. Although he has not officially announced his retirement from the IPL, it is understood that he might not return to the tournament.
Apart from his contributions to RCB, Karthik had a notable career with the Indian national team, spanning over two decades. He played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20Is, showcasing his versatility and dedication to the sport.
Virat Kohli talks about Dinesh Karthik’s future with RCB
Kohli hoped that Karthik remains closely associated with RCB due to rhe expertise and cricket knowledge he possesses.
Virat Kohli said “Hopefully Dinesh Karthik remains connected to RCB in one way or the other in the future because his expertise when it comes to cricket is priceless & adds great value to RCB franchise”.
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