Dinesh Karthik hails RCB’s balance, Virat Kohli’s composure after IPL title win

Dinesh Karthik praised Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s squad depth, leadership and composure after their IPL title win against Gujarat Titans. He highlighted Virat Kohli’s solidity under pressure, Rajat Patidar’s calm captaincy and the team’s effective use of strong backups throughout the season.

Hyderabad: “We have a lot of skill in the room. We’re a very well-rounded team, both batting and bowling. We’ve tried to make sure most of the boxes are ticked in terms of the power we have and the skill we possess with the ball,” said Dinesh Karthik, batting coach and mentor of Royal Challengers Bengaluru which retained the IPL trophy defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the finL in Ahmedabad on Sunday night.

“It was great to see someone like Bhuvi bring his experience to the fore from game one right through to the end, he was always there for us. Hazlewood started in a certain way but finished strongly for us. Virat, under pressure and in a big chase, stood up yet again,” Karthik said on JioStar Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live.

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“That’s why he’s called the King. You can see youngsters playing a lot of different shots, but it was him who brought solidity to the chase. GT wanted one wicket. They knew that if they got Virat at any point, the game would be different for them. He withstood that pressure, and that tells you everything you need to know about him,” the former India wicketkeeper said.

On having quality backups for each spot, Karthik said: “Ideally, I might not want another mega auction, but there’s a lot of planning that goes into it. It’s one thing to have a good starting XII, but you always know that in a tournament like this, there could be an injury, a player arriving late, or someone dealing with family issues, and you need to be prepared for all of that.”

“Across skill sets, we had some really good backups. When Salty left, Bethell came in. When Bethell got injured, Venkatesh Iyer came in. When Josh Hazlewood wasn’t around, Duffy was there, who was the World No. 1 T20 bowler,” he said.

“Rasikh Salam didn’t get a game for us last year, but this year, the way he has come in under pressure, constantly bowling tough overs and standing up to the challenge, has been impressive. He’s got that character, and it emanates from the way we practise and the clarity Mo and Andy have given to a lot of the players, ” Karthik said.

On two-time TATA IPL-winning Captain Rajat Patidar, Karthik said: “Rajat has been a huge calming influence in a dressing room that is high-octane and high testosterone. He keeps things very calm, and that’s so important. The bowlers thrive when you have a calm captain; it definitely helps under pressure. ”

“I think he likes to be a star, not a superstar. There are plenty of guys in that team who are big names and get the job done in high-pressure situations. The only time Rajat is aggressive is when he’s batting,” he said.

“Other than that, he brings a very calm atmosphere and is happy for a lot of the senior players to go front and centre, which I believe is a very important trait in a leader. He just sits back, allows things to get done, and does exactly what needs to be done in that moment,” Karthik said.