Being part of RCB was a very special feeling: RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik

“Purely because of the brand of cricket that we play, but also the fans that we have. And most importantly, it's a journey that's been filled with lots of highs and lows,” Karthik said in the RCB podcast.

Hyderabad: Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik said being part of RCB was a very special feeling.

“Purely because of the brand of cricket that we play, but also the fans that we have. And most importantly, it’s a journey that’s been filled with lots of highs and lows,” Karthik said in the RCB podcast.

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“But the trophy hadn’t reached the shores of Bangalore yet. If I could be part of that journey, why not? That was a big question in my mind,” Karthik said. “I know how close we were when I played. So here’s another opportunity for me as a coach,” he added

“I thought we did beautifully in picking a very balanced squad, knowing what sort of players we want and which player would fit in which role,” the former India wicket-keeper-batter said.

“As we were picking the team, we used to put players in certain roles and see how they fit. We were very sure this

is the kind of batting order we wanted,” Karthik said.

“And in the auction prep as well, we had a few elevens as combinations, and in that, we had certain players, certain names in mind,” he said.

And when asked what makes this team different from previous RCB squads, Karthik pointed out: that the difference between this current RCB squad and some of the ones that were picked previously was the amount of experience through the 12 players, the strength and depth in batting, and most importantly, the quality of bowling.

“All of these three things were very evident. And many leaders – not just one or two big names – but lots of leaders through the players that we had picked,” Karthik said.