“Outstanding talent, brilliant batter to watch”: Virat Kohli heaps praise on Dinesh Karthik

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 24 (ANI): Star Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli showered praise on wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik and said that the 38-year-old has an ‘outstanding talent’ and is a ‘brilliant batter’ to watch.

Karthik had his last dance on a cricket field in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 eliminator match between RCB and Rajasthan Royals (RR).

In a video shared on RCB’s official social media handle, Kohli revealed that he found the wicketkeeper-batter very amusing after the batter met him for the first time during the Champions Trophy 2009.

“The first time I met DK, I remember we were playing in South Africa if I am not wrong in the Champions Trophy 2009. It was the first time I shared the change room with Dinesh and I found him to be very amusing, I would say hyperactive, confused person, most of the time he was moving all over the place, never stopping. That was my first impression of Dinesh,” Kohli said.

While Karthik hasn’t yet officially announced his retirement from the IPL, he did drop broad hints throughout the tournament that the ongoing season would be his last for his franchise. As he walked back towards the dressing room after RCB lost against RR, Karthik received a guard of honour from the RCB players.

The 35-year-old said now Karthik has become more ‘wiser and calm’ than earlier.

“Outstanding talent, brilliant batter to watch and my first impression and present-day impression are not far apart. Just that he has become wiser and calmed down a lot,” he added.

Kohli also revealed that Karthik helped him while the former RCB skipper was struggling for confidence.

“Off the field, I have had some really nice and interesting conversations with him. He is a wise man, and has great knowledge about a lot of things, not just cricket. I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with him. Even in that phase in 2022 when I did not have a great IPL season, I was really struggling for confidence, he sat me down a couple of times and gave me a very honest explanation of how he saw things and maybe I am not able to see them myself,” he added.

In his illustrious IPL career that spanned over 17 years, Karthik featured for six franchises in the cash-rich league.

He made his debut in the inaugural season in 2008 with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He made a switch to Punjab in 2011 and, thereafter, went on to play for the Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders and the RCB.

He ended the ongoing season with 326 runs in 15 matches at an average of 36.22 and a mouth-watering strike rate of 187.36.